HARMS, George C. 1903-1989

HARMS, MAMMEN, WERKMAN

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 1/4/2016 at 12:13:01

Rites Held For George Harms

George Harms, 86, of Grundy Center, and formerly of Holland, passed away at 1:20 a.m. Saturday, June 17, at the Grundy Care Center where he had been a resident since June 5.

Services were held at the Colfax Center Presbyterian Church, rural Holland, on Monday, June 19, at 1:30 p.m., with Rev. Loren J. Kotman officiating.

Dwayne and Elaine Sents sang "This World Is Not My Home" and "The Kind Is Coming." They were accompanied by Mrs. Larry Stahl, who also played selected numbers for the prelude and postlude.

Casket bearers were Carl Schmidt, Curtis Meester, George Saathoff, George Heronimus, Harold Heeren and Larry Stahl.

Ushers were Herman Akkerman and John Seehusen. Mrs. Joe Junker and Mrs. Leola Abels were in charge of the floral arrangements.

Interment was in the Christian Reformed Church Cemetery, Holland.

George C. Harms, the son of George and Elina Mammen Harms, was born May 17, 1903, in Neustodt-Godens, Germany. He came to America by ship with his aunt, Mrs. August (Lucie) Heeren when he was 19, and made his home with the Renko Schmidt family near Holland.

On March 14, 1934, George was united in marriage to Henrietta Werkman in Grundy Center by the Rev. Louie Voskull. In 1949, they made their home in Holland.

He worked most of his life as a self-employed carpenter in the Holland and Grundy Center area. He became a citizen of the United States in March of 1960, and in April of 1960, his father came to America for a visit. It was the first time they had seen each other in 38 years. In 1969, George, and his daughter Leona, went to Germany to see his brother and sister and other relatives.

George's wife, Henrietta, had been a resident of the Grundy Care Center since September 8, 1971, until her death on May 14, 1988. George missed very few days not seeing her during that time. In November of 1980, he moved to Grundy Center so he could be closer to his wife. A more gentle and kinder man would be hard to find.

George was preceded in death by his parents; his wife; one sister, Erna Wiederholz; and one brother, Herman Harms, both of Germany.

He is survived by two daughters, Mrs. John (Leona) Rhoads, of Holland, and Mrs. William (Wilma) Vos, of Grundy Center; one brother, Friedrich (Fritz) Harms, of Weismoor, Germany; one sister, Anni Schlichtharle, of Salem-Neufrach, Germany; three grandchildren, Brenda Biersner, Scott Vos and Linda Dorothy; and six great-grandchildren.

A memorial fund has been established.

The Engelkes-Abels Funeral Home in Grundy Center was in charge of the funeral arrangements.

--The Grundy Register (Grundy Center, Iowa), 22 June 1989, pg 3