Earl Ellsworth Devol (1910 - 1992)

DEVOL, HARNESS, REED, BUTLER, MENKEN, NEAL, VAWN, ELLIS, BROWNE

Posted By: Karen Brewer (email)
Date: 12/12/2021 at 09:01:41

The Osceola Sentinel-Tribune, Osceola, Iowa
August 20, 1992, Page 3

EARL ELLSWORTH DEVOL

Earl Ellsworth Devol, 82, was born in Summitt Lake, Iowa on April 24, 1910, and died Aug. 12, 1992 at Clarke County Hospital, Osceola. Devol, the son of Frank H. and Della Harnes Devol, attended grade school at Franklin School and graduated from Creston High School in 1931.

Mr. Devol moved to Osceola in 1933, after working as a buttermaker for Swift and Co. for two years. When the firm sold, he moved to Grinnell to continue his trade.

Mr. Devol married Ethel Reed in 1934. In 1945, he and his wife moved back to Osceola, where he began employment with Clarke Electric Cooperative. He worked 30 years before his retirement in 1975.

His wife Ethel died Sept. 21, 1955.

Mr. Devol was a member of the United Methodist Church, Osceola, and Osceola Lodge No. 77, A.F. & A.M. As a young man in Creston, he was a DeMolay member.

He is preceded in death by both wives, Ethel and Maxine; his sister Mamie Reed and brother Irvin.

He is survived by his sister Doris Butler of Des Moines; two nieces, Donna Menken of Elkader, and Cheryl Neal and husband Martin of Des Moines; two step-children, Richard Vawn of Osceola and Mary Margaret Ellis and husband James of Weldon; four step-grandchildren, Danny Vawn, Scott Ellis, Jaime Browne, and Thadd Ellis; as well as other reltives and friends.

Services were held at the Kale Funeral Home in Osceola Aug. 15, 1992, the Rev. Judith Miller officiating. Organist Pennie Gonseth and vocalist Emil Rinderspacher presented "In the Garden" and "How Great Thou Art."

Interment was in Maple Hill Cemetery, Osceola. Casket bearers were Merrill Burrell, Bob Risser, Richard Kline, Don Reasoner, Bert Canavan, and John Wilcox. Honor bearers were Jeff Neal, Dennis Menken, Scott Ellis, Thad Ellis, Danny Vawn and Rich Robbins.