Berschman, John (1926-2013)
BERSCHMAN, SCHAEFER, SMIDT, AUKES, STEFFENSEN, WATKINS, SENG, SHIPMAN, KESSLER, NEWEL, CLAPPER
Posted By: Paul Nagy, volunteer (email)
Date: 9/23/2013 at 11:41:21
John Berschman
(August 24, 1926 - August 6, 2013)John Berschman, age 86 years, 11 months, and 18 days, of Buffalo Center, passed away on Tuesday, August 6, 2013, at the Titonka Care Center.
John Berschman was born on August 24, 1926, in Lakota, Iowa, the youngest of twin sons born to Heyo and Flora (Schaefer) Berschman. Baptized and confirmed in the Presbyterian Church in Lakota, he attended country school until the tenth grade when he had to quit to work for his dad and other area farmers. On January 27, 1945, he joined the US Navy, serving until he was honorably discharged on July 12, 1946. While in the Navy, he worked as a cook on board the USS Winged Arrow, a navy supply ship with stops at Sipan, Taipan, and Guam and also became a Boxing Champion at the Great Lakes Naval Base. Extremely proud of his time spent serving his country in the United States Navy, he loved attending his annual naval reunions.
On October 6, 1948, John married the neighbor girl, Jane Smidt. Their union was blest with five children: Timothy, Ronald, Debra, Joann, and Denise. In 1962, the family moved from Lakota to a farm north of Buffalo Center where they worked the land until 1976 when John retired for health reasons.
Because he loved to tinker on old tractors, John bought into the Allis Chalmers dealership in 1984. In 1995, he and Jane moved off the farm into Buffalo Center. No one will forget his huge smile and that twinkle in his eye when he saw his grandchildren and great-grandchildren or sang those silly songs that always stuck in his listeners’ heads for days!
In October of 2012, John moved to the Titonka Care Center where, before his death, he enjoyed conversing with the residents, staff, and visitors.
Those left to mourn his passing include Jane, his wife of sixty-four years; his son, Tim (Vicki) Berschman; his daughters, Deb (Doug) Aukes, and Joann (Paul) Steffensen, all of Buffalo Center, and Denise (Jim) Watkins, of Urbana, Illinois; seven grandchildren: Nicole (Kevin) Seng, of Waterloo, Iowa, Brooke (Michael) Shipman, of Greensboro, North Carolina, Wade Aukes, of Buffalo Center, Iowa, Bridget Aukes, of Coralville, Iowa, Tony (Emily) Steffensen, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Abby (Blake) Kessler, of Des Moines, Iowa, and Alison Watkins, of Urbana, Illinois; five great-grandchildren, Jade Berschman, Brady Seng, and Payton, Briley, and Jensen Steffensen; his sister, Kay Newel, of Newton, Iowa; his twin brother, Joe (Dorothy), of Buffalo Center, his brothers-in-law, Pete (Pat) Smidt, of Fayetteville, Arkansas, and Bill (Arvilla) Smidt, of Blue Springs, Missouri.
John was preceded in death by his parents; a son, Ronald; his sister and brother-in-law, Ruth and Donald Clapper; his brother-in-law, Gene Newel, and his nephew, Brian Newel.
Funeral service will be held at 10:30 AM, Monday, August 12, 2013, at the First Reformed Church in Buffalo Center with Pastor Bill Peake officiating. Visitation will be from 4:00-7:00 PM on Sunday, August 11, 2013, also at the Church. Interment will be at the Olena Mound Cemetery of Buffalo Center.
Copyright © 2013, Winter Funeral Home and Cremation Service
Kossuth Obituaries maintained by Linda Ziemann.
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