O'Brien, Kathryn Julia (Farmer) --- 1920-2012

CARPENTER, FARMER, OBRIEN, BERGEN, RECKER, HARFORD WEBER, PRITCHARD, MILES, KELLOGG, OLINGER, BERNS

Posted By: IA GenWeb Volunteer
Date: 5/30/2013 at 17:50:21

Kathryn Julia O'Brien

Funeral services were held at 10:30 a.m. October 1, 2012 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Strawberry Point, Iowa, for Kathryn Julia O’Brien, 92, of Strawberry Point, Iowa, who died Thursday, September 27, 2012, at the Guttenberg Care Center. Visitation was held from 4 to 8 p.m. with a 4 p.m. Rosary and a 7:30 p.m. Scripture Service September 30, 2012 at Leonard-Muller Funeral Home in Strawberry Point and one hour before mass time at the church on Monday. Interment was held October 1, 2012 at Sacred Heart Cox Creek Cemetery, rural Strawberry Point.

Kathryn Julia O’Brien was born February 19, 1920, on the family farm, rural Strawberry Point. She was the eleventh and youngest child of Francis and Daisy (Carpenter) Farmer.

Kathryn walked to the rural school in the district through 8th grade and attended Strawberry Point High School her freshman year. She continued her education at Elkader High School, graduating in 1937, with a normal training teaching certificate. She was not old enough to teach the following year and opted to stay home to help care for her father, who was in a wheelchair as a result of a paralyzing stroke. She then taught rural school for 3 years.

On September 13, 1941, she married John M. O’Brien at Sacred Heart Cox Creek Catholic Church, rural Strawberry Point. Four daughters were born to this union: Maureen (Bernard) Bergan of Elkader; Karen (Jerry) Recker of Lamont; Helen Harford Weber of Guttenberg; Mary (Leslie) O’Brien-Pritchard of La Quinta, CA.

The O'Briens farmed their Century Farm north of Strawberry Point for 50 years. They were long-time members of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Volga. Together they enjoyed dancing, playing cards and a surprise 40th anniversary trip to Ireland from their daughters. Kathryn was active in the neighborhood Victory Club, as well as entering local radio phone-in and creative writing contests. She represented Wallaces Farmer magazine in Northeast Iowa for 12 years, doing interviews and readership studies. She retired to Strawberry Point after the death of her husband where she was a member of St. Mary Catholic Church and several card clubs. She moved to the Tower Living Center in Garnavillo in 2004, where she resided until her recent transfer to the Guttenberg Care Center.

Survivors include her four daughters; 15 grandchildren: Jeanice (James) Reimer, Sheila Bergan, Kevin (Amy) Bergan, Patrick (Charlene) Bergan, Terry Bergan, Erin (Todd) Bloomquist, Ryan (Bobbie) Bergan, Kathy Beevers (fiancé Troy Miller), Tim (Kristy) Recker, Connie (Mike) Euans, Lisa Recker, Larry O’Brien, Mike (Sarah)Harford, Tony Harford (friend Amanda Schlueter), Susie (Mark) Horn; 24 great-grandchildren; and 5 great-great grandchildren.

Preceding her in death were her husband in May 1991; grandsons, Jeffrey Recker (July 1979) and Steven Bergan (August 1989); grandson-in-law, Wally Beevers (November 2009); sons-in-law, William Harford (October 1979) and Robert Weber (March 2010); sisters, Mamie Miles, Maggie Kellogg, Daisy Kellogg, Nellie Olinger, Clara Farmer and Mae Berns; brothers, Bryan, Dewey, Edward and Francis, Jr.

Taken from a funeral brochure.

Clayton Obituaries maintained by Sharyl Ferrall.
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