Earl R. Bridgford 1911-2003

BRIDGFORD, CRESS, RANNELLS

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 10/7/2008 at 02:41:45

Sioux City Journal
Tuesday, July 08, 2003

ONAWA, Iowa -- Earl R. Bridgford, 92, of Onawa died Monday, July 7, 2003, at Burgess Health Center in Onawa.

Services will be 2:30 p.m. Wednesday at United Church of Christ in Blencoe, Iowa. Burial will be in Onawa Cemetery. Visitation will be 4 to 8 p.m. today, with the family present 6 to 8 p.m., at Rush Family Care Service in Onawa.

Earl Bridgford was born in rural Dixon County, Neb., on Jan. 14, 1911, the youngest son of R.S. and Ida (Cress) Bridgford. He graduated from Newcastle (Neb.) High School.
He received a bachelor's degree from Wayne (Neb.) State College and his master's degree from the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. He began teaching in rural schools in Nebraska and later taught in Dakota City, Valparaiso and Ord, Neb. He then came to Monona County and served as school superintendent for Castana and Blencoe, Iowa. He also was head of the West Monona Junior High School and the elementary school until his retirement in 1976.

In 1944 he was united in marriage to the former Dorothy Rannells of Dunlap, Iowa. They shared an interest in education for many years.

He was a member of Blencoe United Church of Christ.

He is survived by his wife, Dorothy; a nephew and his wife, Clair and Elaine of Tahoe Vista, Calif.; and two nieces and their husbands, Lorene and William Hull of Savoy, Ill., and Mar Yanna and Clark Heydon of Wessington Springs, S.D.

He was preceded in death by his parents, a sister, an infant sister and two brothers.