Arends, Berend (1875-1954)

ARENDS, REHME, HOSTLER, JOHNSON, CARSTENS, BELL, HENSEL

Posted By: Debbie Greenfield (email)
Date: 1/24/2021 at 14:05:42

Daily Freeman Journal, Webster City, Iowa
Saturday, October 23, 1954

Blairsburg Farmer Dies at Hospital; Rescued from Bin

Berend Arends, 79, prominent Blairsburg farmer, died at 9:30 p.m. Friday at Hamilton county hospital as the result of being trapped in a crib of shelled corn at his farm a mile west of Blairsburg.

Webster City's Civil Defense rescue truck was called to the scene at about 4:30, shortly after members of the corn shelling crew and construction workers had pulled Arends from the side of the crib.

However, the efforts were in vain and he died five hours later in Hamilton County hospital.

Witnesses said Arends had gone to the top of the crib to change the spout of the elevator to a different bin. They heard him cry out when he fell into the corn and immediately went to his assistance.

One worker said only his hand showed above the corn when they got to the top. Other workers pulled boards off the side of the crib and extricated Arends, who was near asphyxiation.

Jack Patterson, driver of the rescue wagon, said Arends seemed to be reviving after oxygen was given him during the ambulance ride to town.

Funeral services will be held 1 p.m. Tuesday at the Congregational church in Blairsburg, following which services will be held at 2:30 at the Evangelical Reformed church in Alexander, Iowa, with burial there. Rev. Clark M. Crowell of Blairsburg and Rev. B.T. Vanderwoude of Alexander will officiate.

The body will lie in state at the family home a mile and a quarter southwest of Blairsburg from Monday until 12:30 Tuesday when a brief service will be held at the home following which services will be held at the Blairsburg church. Foster's funeral home is in charge.

Berend Arends, son of Aite and Caroline Arends, was born March 1, 1875 on a farm near Ackley, Iowa. He was nine years old when the family moved to a farm west of Alexander where he was reared and educated.

He was united in marriage Oct. 8, 1889 to Alvena Rehme. The couple farmed near Alexander until 1928 when they moved to a farm near Iowa Falls, living there four years. For the past 25 years they had farmed in the vicinity of Williams and Blairsburg.

Surviving are his wife, three daughters and one son: Mrs. Jack (Beulah) Hostler of Eldora, Berver Arends of Williams, Mrs. Fred Henry (Claire) Johnson of Alexander, Mrs. Herman (Dorothy) Carstens of Blairsburg; 11 grandchildren, 3 great-grandchildren; 3 brothers and 2 sisters, Rev. Edwin Arends of Rockford, Ill., Sherman Arends of San Francisco and Grover Arends of Williams, Mrs. Fred (Hattie) Bell of Arlington, Calif., Mrs. Oscar (Marie) Hensel of Alexander. He was preceded in death by his parents, three brothers and one sister.

He was baptized and confirmed and was a lifelong member of the Evangelical Reformed church at Alexander.