James F. Umbarger, 1871-1959

UMBARGER, BALLARD, ASHBURN

Posted By: Emmet County IAGenWeb Coordinator (email)
Date: 4/18/2009 at 11:12:15

James F. Umbarger Dies at 87

James Francis Umbarger, 87, died at the Good Samaritan Home today [29 Apr 1959] at 2:30 a.m.

He was born May 11, 1871, at Monmouth in Jackson County, [Iowa], the son of Nathaniel B. and Mary Agnes Brown Umbarger. He moved with his parents to the vicinity of Odebolt [Sac County, IA] before he was a year old. This was six years before the town of Odebolt was laid out. He farmed at Odebolt until 1914, when he moved to Ringsted [Denmark Township, Emmet County, IA]. He lived there until he moved to Lake Park [Dickinson County, IA] in 1917, and came to Estherville in 1951.

Mr. Umbarger graduated from Odebolt High School in 1888, and was the oldest living graduate of the school. He was the first president of the Odebolt Alumni Association. He attended Carthage College at Carthage, Ill., and Miami University at Oxford, Ohio.

He was married to Winifred de Ett Ballard Feb. 29, 1896 at Odebolt. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 1946 in Estherville.

Mr. Umbarger joined the Presbyterian Church when he was a young man, and acted as Sunday School superintendent for many years at Odebolt and at Lake Park. He was also an elder in the Lake Park Presbyterian Church.

Survivors include five children, Morris of Sioux City, Max of Lake Park, Percy and Frank of Mason City, and Mrs. Howard (Margaret) Ashburn of Estherville, eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife who died in 1954, three brothers, two sisters, an infant daughter, Elinor Gretchen and two grandsons Douglas Ashburn and William Umbarger, who was killed in Korea.

Funeral services will be held Friday at 2 p.m. at the Sternborg Chapel, the Rev. James K. Lyon officiating. Friends may call at the Sternborg Funeral Home from Thursday noon until time of services. Burial will be in Oak Hill Cemetery.

Contributed by: Ruth Hackett. Source: The Estherville Daily News, Estherville, Emmet County, Iowa, April 29, 1959.