George Henry Busch

BUSCH, LUDEMAN, FOLKERTS, WESTENDORF, STAUFFER, HILL, CRAMER, REITSMA, BAUMHOVER, SCHLAIS, MASON, FLESHNER, RIGGERT

Posted By: dbeier (email)
Date: 2/11/2011 at 13:50:44

George Henry Busch, age 92, of Allison, was born April 24, 1918, the son of Henry W. and Beilda (Ludeman) Busch in Bristow. George attended school in both Bristow and Allison.

On Feb. 25, 1940, George was united in marriage to Marie Folkerts on her parents' farm. To this union, four children were born. They moved to their current home, where they farmed and raised registered performance Angus cattle.

George was an active member of Trinity Reformed Church, Allison, where he had served as Sunday school teacher, deacon and elder. He was an Iowa Delegate to an R.C.A. Synod meeting in New York and was chairman of the building committee when the present church was built.

George was very active in 4-H and many Extension programs. He was a Farm Bureau member since 1940, where he served in several positions on the county board and also was a charter member of the IFBF Agricultural Foundation advisory funding council for six years.

Early in his farming career, George was concerned about soil erosion and wanted to leave the land in better condition than he found it. In 1947 he helped organized the Butler County Soil Conservation District where he served as a Commissioner for 25 years. In 1973 he was inducted as a member of the Iowa Master Farmers. In 1979 he was awarded the "Beverly McCrindle Cleaner Stream Award" by the Iowa Division of the Izaak Walton League of America. Additionally, in 1990 George was the recipient of the Distinguished Service to Iowa Agriculture Award.

George died Saturday, Jan. 22, 2011, at Bartels Lutheran Home, Waverly, of natural causes.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Marie on Feb. 19, 2006; one grandson, Russell Westendorf; son-in-law, Roger Stauffer; one sister, Margaret Hill; two brothers, Henry and Marvin; and two sisters-in-law, Maureen (Henry) Busch and Josephine (Marvin) Busch.

Survivors include his three sons, Wayne (Kathleen) Busch of Ankeny, Wendell (Beverly) Busch of Cedar Falls and Maurice (Connie) Busch of Allison; his daughter, Lois Stauffer of Allison; nine grandchildren, Sherri (Brian) Cramer, Michelle Busch, Debra (Randy) Reitsma, Michael Busch, Lisa (Neil) Baumhover, Eric (Nicole) Stauffer, Kim (Kevin) Schlais, Michael (Dawn) Mason and Kristen (Ryan) Fleshner; 16 great-grandchildren; one brother, James (Marlene) Busch of Unionville, Mo.; and one sister, Arlene (Paul) Riggert of Green Valley, Ariz.

Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 28, at Trinity Reformed Church, with burial in Allison Cemetery, both in Allison.

Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the Redman-Schwartz Funeral Home, Parkersburg, and will continue for one hour prior to services at the church.

Memorials may be directed to "Words of Hope," or Iowa 4-H Foundation.