Varenhorst, Erwin Rudolph 1918-2000

VARENHORST, LUDWIGS, MARIENAU, FARLEY, VON HAGEL, JURGENSEN

Posted By: Bruce Atkinson (email)
Date: 8/29/2008 at 20:52:36

LE MARS, Iowa - Erwin Rudolph Varenhorst, 82, of Le Mars died Friday, April 7, 2000, at a Sioux City hospital.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at St. John's Lutheran Church, E.L.C.A. with the Rev. Burt Burwell officiating. Burial, with military honors provided by Heeren-McHale-Wilken American Legion Post 724 of Brunsville, Iowa, will be at 1 p.m. in Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Ireton, Iowa. Visitation will be after 3 p.m. Monday, with a prayer service at 7 p.m., at Mauer-Johnson Funeral Home in Le Mars.
Mr. Varenhorst was born Feb. 11, 1918, on the family farm near Craig, Iowa, the son of Henry R. and Aldena (Ludwigs) Varenhorst. He was baptized and confirmed at St. John Lutheran Church in Craig. He attended Preston Township Country School #1.
On Jan. 12, 1950, he married Myrna Marienau at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Johnson Township. They farmed west of Craig for 26 years. They retired in 1979 and moved to Le Mars. During his retirement years he worked as a groundskeeper for Jack Harker.
During World War II he served in the U.S. Army from August 1941 to November 1945. Following his honorable discharge he worked for Athen's Standard Oil in Le Mars for four years.
He was a longtime member of St. John Lutheran Church in Craig where he was a member of the Lutheran Brotherhood and had served as church treasurer for several years. While living in Le Mars he was a member of St. John's Lutheran Church. He belonged to Heeren-McHale-Wilken American Post 724 of Brunsville. He enjoyed playing cards and working.
Survivors include two sons and their wives, Robert and Claris Varenhorst of Ireton and Jim and Ruth Farley of Le Mars; a daughter and her husband, Diane and Charles Von Hagel of Akron, Iowa; two brothers and their wives, William and Ruth and Norman and Lois all of Le Mars; a sister and her husband, Beverly and Bob Jurgensen of Sioux City; three sisters-in-law, Katherine, Eva and Cleone Varenhorst all of Le Mars; nine grandchildren, Scott and Susan Farley, Beth Raymond, Curt, Dawn and Clark Von Hagel, Jeanette, Holly and Ann Varenhorst; and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his wife who died on Dec. 31, 1998; three brothers, Fritz, Harry and Elmer Varenhorst; and a sister-in-law, Helen Varenhorst.
Pallbearers will be Dick Ruether, Jerry, Dan and Dean Varenhorst, Al Ahrendsen, Dennis Ernst and Rod Holtkamp.

~Sioux City Journal of 09 April 2000