Dewey D. Stephens Sr.

STEPHENS, TENNEY, COCKLIN, ELLIOTT, EDMONDSON, HERR, FREELAND, PETERSON, CARL

Posted By: Skipton
Date: 3/1/2011 at 11:13:03

Dewey D. Stephens Sr., pioneer Ainsworth resident, died at 3 o'clock Saturday afternoon, March 17, after suffering a cerbral hemorrhage early Thursday. He was 76 years old.

Funeral services were held at 2 o'clock Wednesday afternoon in the Ainsworth Methodist Church with Rev. Carl Steefel in charge. Burial was in the Ainsworth Cemetery.

Mr. Stephens was born March 19, 1874, on a farm southeast of Ainsworth. He had been a farmer all of his life until his retirement seven years ago when he moved into Ainsworth.

He was the son of Lytle and Ellan Tenney Stephens and was reared and educated in the Ainsworth community, later attending Iowa Wesleyn College.

He was married in 1902 to Blanche Cocklin who is among his survivors.

Mr. Stephens was widely known throughout Washington and Louisa Counties. He was an ardent lover of flowers, trees and other wildlife. Among his hobbies was painting, and he owned a number of his own pictures which he had framed in solid walnut frames, since woodworking was another of his pastimes.

He also had another hobby, a collection of over 200 different kinds of wood.

He served as president of the Ainsworth school board for many years and was an active member of the Methodist Church.

Other survivors include the following children: Richard, Eugene, Mrs. John (Maxine) Elliott Sr., and Dewey Jr., all of Ainsworth; Robert of West Chester; Mrs. Richard (Carol) Edmondson of Des Moines and Connie Stephens of Chicago.

Four sisters also survive: Mrs. Viola Herr and Mrs. John Freeland of Ainsworth, Mrs. David Peterson of Waterloo and Mrs. Cloyce Carl of Los Angeles; two brothers, Samuel Stephens of Ainsworth and LeMoine Stephens of Los Angeles; 21 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. One son, Philip, preceded him in death.