Harry Nephew 1901-1964

NEPHEW, JOHNSON, KRUMMEL, WILKE, VESSLEY

Posted By: Sharon Elijah (email)
Date: 7/23/2020 at 06:39:34

2 April 1964 - The Tipton Conservative

Funeral services for Harry Edward Nephew, 62, machinist and welder in Tipton for many years, were held at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Tipton Methodist church. The Rev. Eugene Miller was in charge, with burial in the Tipton Masonic cemetery.

Pallbearers were Fred Hawker, Max Ganzer, C. W. Ashton, Vernon Lamp, Raymond Eilers and Earl Eggert. Mrs. Wendell Willer was vocalist and Mrs. Irma Crawford, organist. Mr. and Mrs. Wesley Marquett, Mr. and Mrs. Albert Kautz and Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Peters were in charge of the flowers.

Graveside services were by the Tipton Legion post and the Masonic lodge.

Mr. Nephew died of cancer about noon Easter Sunday. He had been seriously ill for only a short time and underwent an operation at Cedar Rapids hospital March 3.

The son of Thomas Robert and Stella Viola Barkhurst Nephew, he was born near Rochester Nov. 4, 1901 and spent his life in the Cedar county area, most of it in Tipton.

He was married to Esther May Johnson July 3, 1924 in Tipton.

He was a highly skilled welder and machinist and he worked for the Iowa Highway commission until he set up his own shop in Tipton about 20 years ago.

His ability to repair and rebuild machinery was almost limitless, and there were many times when The Conservative or The Advertiser came out on time only because of his skill.

He joined the navy construction battalion, better known as the SeaBees, Nov. 19, 1942 and served with the 88th Naval construction battalion until he was discharged with the rank of chief machinists mate in July, 1945.

Mr. Nephew was active in civil defense from its inception in Cedar county and was serving as deputy Cedar county civil defense director at the time of his death.

He joined the naval reserve in 1955, and had been a member of the C-B division 9-6 at Moline, Ill. for nearly 10 years.

As a member of the city council Mr. Nephew served for part of a term in 1949, replacing James Stafford when he moved from the first to third wards. He was a past master of the Tipton Masonic lodge, a member of the Tipton Methodist church and the Garey-Whalen post of the American Legion.

He is survived by his wife, a son, Oliver, Cedar Rapids, 4 grandchildren, 3 sisters, Mrs. Mary Krummel, Bennett, Mrs. Anna Wilke, Louisville, Ky. and Mrs. Ruby Vessley of Iowa City and a brother, William, Muscatine.