George Arald Africa 1897-1960

AFRICA, VALEN

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 6/10/2014 at 21:10:19

George A. Africa Dies
Armstrong – George A. [Arald] Africa, 63, of Armstrong, died last night at Veterans Hospital in Sioux Falls, S.D., following an illness of about two weeks. Mr. Africa suffered a stroke on Jan. 18, and had been in poor health since that time.

He was born April 5, 1897, at Belmond, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Africa and is a graduate of Kanawha High school and Capitol City Commercial College at Des Moines. Mr. Africa taught school at Midland, S.D., and for many years was a barber in South Dakota and California before returning to Iowa.

He was married to Bertha Valen in 1927 at Fort Dodge and they moved to Ocean Park, Calif., where they lived for a year, before returning to Iowa. After spending eight years at Cylinder, Mr. and Mrs. Africa moved to Armstrong in 1936 and he had been a barber at Armstrong until about three years ago, when he sold his business.

Mr. Africa served as city clerk of Armstrong for 18 years; was past master of the Masonic chapter and had served on the school board. He served with the armed forces during World War I and was a member of the Presbyterian Church, the Masonic Lodge and the American Legion of Armstrong.

Survivors include his wife, Bertha; a niece, Mary Valen of Minneapolis, who was reared in the Africa home; a sister, Miss Kay Africa of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; and two brothers, James Africa of Venice, Calif., and Henry Africa of Iowa City. He was preceded in death by his parents.

Funeral services are tentatively scheduled for 2 pm. Friday at First Presbyterian Church in Armstrong, with the Rev. James A. Rowe officiating. Burial will be in Armstrong Grove cemetery. (Estherville Daily News, Estherville, IA, May 18, 1960)