CLAASSEN, Richard 1906-1981

CLAASSEN, AKKERMAN, HAMILTON

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 9/7/2021 at 07:08:18

Last Rites Held For Richard Claassen, 74

Funeral services for Richard Claassen, former Wellsburg postmaster, were held on Monday, April 27, at 1:30 p.m. at the Second Christian Reformed Church. Pastor John H. Elenbaas officiated.

A men's quartet; Warren Anderson, Willis Nederhoff, Roger Nederhoff and Steven Hook sang a selection. Two hymns were also sung by the entire congregation. Mrs. Clarence Beecroft was organist.

Flower attendants were Mrs. Steven Hook and Mrs. Neil Okones, Sr.

Pall bearers were Thomas Claassen, Jr., Larry Hamilton, Jerry Staley, Craig Warman, Veryl Sanderson, and Gary Clark.

Interment was held in the Hazel Green Cemetery at rural Ackley. Doyen Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Richard Claassen passed away at 5:35 p.m. Thursday, April 23, at University Hospital in Iowa City due to complications of a stroke. He had been taken to the Grundy County Memorial Hospital on Sunday morning, April 19th, and transferred to Iowa City on Tuesday morning the 21st. He reached the age of 74 years, 10 months and 14 days.

He was born in Wellsburg on June 9, 1906, the son of Dick and Lulu (Akkerman) Claassen and attended the Wellsburg School through the 11th grade.

He graduated from the Grundy Center High School in 1922. He attended Ellsworth College in Iowa Falls for two years, the State University of Iowa in Iowa City for one year and taught school in Shiloh No. 4 west of Wellsburg. From 1927 to 1934 he managed the O'Neil Drug Store in Wellsburg.

On February 22, 1935 he became postmaster of Wellsburg and continued in this position until June 1973, when he retired.

Richard was married to Lucille Hamilton on April 19, 1930, at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Waterloo. They made their home in Wellsburg all of their married life. Three daughters and one son were born to this union.

He was baptized in the Wellsburg Reformed Church and became a member of the Second Christian Reformed Church of Wellsburg on June 6, 1954 by confession of faith.

Preceding him in death were: his parents, 1 brother, Virgil Claassen and a son-in-law, Wallace Ford.

Those left to mourn his passing are his wife, Lucille, three daughters and one son, Mrs. Robert (Joan) Wallick of Big Horn, Wyoming; Mrs. Harold (Marilyn) Roberts of Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Miss Barbara Claassen of Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Richard J. Claassen of Austin, Texas; two grandsons, Eric and John Roberts of Chapel Hill, North Carolina; two granddaughters, Sarah and Anne Wallick of Big Horn, Wyoming; one sister, Mrs. Ella Hamilton of Alden; one brother, Thomas Claassen, Sr., of Wellsburg, and many other relatives and friends.

--The Grundy Register (Grundy Center, Iowa), 30 April 1981

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