Westrum,, Nels (1870-1940)

WESTRUM, BOCKLUND, NYBLOM, ANGSTROM, NEESE, CARLSON

Posted By: Debbie Greenfield (email)
Date: 12/12/2020 at 10:52:00

Stratford Courier
January 11, 1940

Obituary

Nels Westrum

Last rites for Nels Westrum were held Saturday afternoon with a service in the home at 1:30 o'clock and in the Baptist church at 2 o'clock in charge of the Rev. Francis Borley. A ladies quartette composed of Mrs. Everett Bergman, Mrs. R.U. Freese, Misses Vernice Johnson and Lou Berglund sang "Whiter Than Snow" and "No Night There." Mrs. Patricia Borley accompanying the singers on the piano. The pastor spoke on "Walking With God" and used as his text Genesis 5:24 "And Enoch walked with God, and he was not for God took him." The remains were laid to rest in the South Marion cemetery. Following were the casket bearers: Julius Johnson, Clifford Neese, Wallace Young, Martin Westrum, Glenn Westrum, Ransom Carlson.

Nels Westrum, son of Olof and Carrie [Nyblom] Westrum, was born on a farm northeast of Stratford, Sept. 12, 1870. Following a week of serious illness in the county hospital in Webster City, he died on Jan. 4, 1940 at the age of 69 years, 3 months, 23 days.

He had spent his entire life in and around Stratford with the exception of four years from 1887 to 1891 when his parents lived near Chadron, Nebr. He was the son of early pioneer settlers of the community and inherited his qualities of industry and honesty from them.

He was converted and baptized into membership of the local Baptist church in 1895 where he showed his christian character by assisting in all the work of the church, serving as treasurer, deacon and trustee for many years.

He was married to Caroline Bocklund, April 2, 1896 and to this union five children were born. The family was reared on the Nels Westrum farm east of town, where he lived for more than twenty-five years. Mr. and Mrs. Westrum moved into their present residence in town in the fall of 1929. He was always a kind and loving husband and father and was always at his best when he could be with his family around the place he knew as home for so many years.

He was preceded in death by his parents, and two sisters, one of whom died in infancy and the other a year ago. He is survived by his wife, one daughter, Mrs. Elmer Angstrom, four sons, Elmo, Ernest, Sidney and Marvin, all of Stratford; and ten grandchildren. Two sisters, Mrs. Clarence Neese and Mrs. Theodore Carlson, three brothers, P.O., Olof O., and J.O., also survive, as do other relatives and a large host of friends.