Berry, George W.

BERRY, LOGAN, BROWNLIE, HAFKEY, HATFIELD, BUMP, STUART, DEEDS

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes (email)
Date: 2/8/2010 at 13:42:12

GEORGE BERRY SERVICES HELD

George W. Berry, 84, a longtime resident of the Grinnell and Ewart communities, died Monday morning at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Des Moines.

Funeral services for Mr. Berry were held at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Smith East Side Funeral Home, with the Rev John C. Epperson, pastor of the Grinnell Christian Church, officiating. Music was provided by Mrs. Don Renaud, organist, and Mr. and Mrs. Delmar Sharp, vocalists. Pallbearers were Glen Berry, George Hafkey, Donald Hatfield, Lloyd Larsen, Bert Stemstrud, and Lester E. Slycord. Honorary pallbearers were Lyle Berry, Carmon Johnson, Russell Ladely, Paul McConnell, Henry Selle, and Russell D. Winburn.

Veterans rites were conducted by members of the Grinnell Veterans Ceremonial Unit. Burial was at the Pleasant Township Cemetery at Ewart.

The son of William and Martha C. Logan Berry, he was born Nov. 17, 1893, in Grinnell. He attended rural school southwest of Grinnell in the Westfield community.

On April 2, 1919, he was married to Lettie Brownlie in Madison Township. The couple had six children. Mr. and Mrs. Berry made their home in Grinnell for 20 years, and Mr. Berry operated a blacksmith and welding shop. They moved to Dexter in 1943, returning to the Grinnell area in 1948. They lived in Ewart where Mr. Berry continued to operate his business.

He was a member of the Grinnell Volunteer Fire Department and Focht-Tennant Post No.53, American Legion. During World War I he served with the U.S. Army in France. He had lived at the Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown since the death of his wife.

Survivors include his children, Mrs. Orville (Harriett) Hafkey of Rte. 3, George C. Berry of Lakeside, Calif., Gene H. Berry of Rte. 2, Kellogg, and Mrs. Murl (Marjorie) Hatfield of Rte. 3, Newton; 16 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; and two sisters, Mrs. Wesley (Lois) Bump of Phoenix, Ariz., and Mrs. Leonard (Esther) Stuart of Tucson, Ariz.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Lettie on Jan. 9, 1973; two daughters, Joyce Ann and Lettie Louise, both in infancy; one grandson; two great-grandchildren; two sisters, Mrs. Leota Deeds and Myra Berry; and a brother, Thomas Berry.