George Harold "Harold" Stearns 1888-1958

STEARNS, CHRISTIANSEN, WILSON, VAN HOVEN, VANHOVEN, PROBST

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 9/28/2012 at 02:30:43

Rites Friday at Estherville for G.H. Stearns
Funeral services for G.H. (Harold) Stearns, 69, of Estherville, will be held at 2 p.m. Friday at Trinity Lutheran church in Estherville, the Rev. Robert Karsten officiating. Mr. Stearns died Tuesday morning at his home of a heart attack.

Harold Stearns was born Sept. 10, 1888, in Beaver Creek township, Minn., the son of Charles E. and Mary Engle Stearns. After the death of his first wife [Frances Wilson], he was remarried Sept. 4, 1938 to Ruth Mabel Christiansen of Graettinger. Mr. Stearns, a longtime resident of Estherville, came here in 1910, employed by the Rock Island railroad. He retired in 1956 after 49 years of service with Rock Island. He was a member of the Iowa Legislative Board of the Brotherhood of Locomotive and Enginemen.

Survivors are his wife, Ruth; one daughter, Ruth Van Hoven of Whitefish, Mont.; five sons, Robert of Los Angeles, Calif., Tom of Rock Island, Ill., Robert of Ida Grove; and James and Joseph, both at home; five grandchildren; one great-grandchildren; and one brother, Robert of Cincinnati, Ohio.

The body will lie in state at the Sternborg Funeral Home beginning today noon. Burial will be in Oak Hill cemetery.

Mr. Stearns was quite well known in Graettinger where he made many acquaintances while railroading and visiting at the home of his wife’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. A.C. Christiensen.

Terril News
Mr. and Mrs. Harry Probst attended the funeral of Harold Stearns at Estherville Friday [January 17, 1958]. Mr. Stearns was a brother-in-law of Mrs. Probst. (Milford Mail and Terril Record, Milford, IA, January 23, 1958)