Pearce, Leonard M. 1905-1995

PEARCE, MAXWELL, BELL, BAARDA, HILLIER, HUYSER, HUIZER, NIKKEL, LANGSTRAAT, BURMAN

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes
Date: 10/12/2014 at 14:04:07

The Grinnell (IA) Herald-Register
Dec. 14, 1995

LEONARD M. PEARCE

Leonard M. Pearch, 90, of Grinnell died Saturday, Dec. 9, at Friendship Manor.

A memorial service will be held at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16, at the Smith Funeral Home, with the Rev. Bruce Fuerbach, pastor of the Calvary Baptist Church, officiating. Organist will be Teresa Thompson, and vocalists will be Leroy and Doris Calvin.

Memorial contributions in Mr. Pearce's name may be made to the American Diabetic Association.

The son of George and Catherine Maxwell Pearce, He was born May 4, 1905, in the Westfield community near Grinnell. He attended Grinnell High School.

He was married to Bernice Bell May 4, 1924, and began farming south of Grinnell. The couple had one daughter, Marvene. Following Bernice Pearce's death, Mr. Pearce's sister, Alice, moved in to help with housekeeping and the care of his daughter.

On Nov. 24, 1954, he was married to Julia Baarda. They lived in Sully for several years and later moved to Grinnell.

Mr. Pearce was a member of the Calvary Baptist Church. He owned and operated a farm implement business and served as maintenance engineer for the Grinnell-Newburg schools and the former Grinnell General Hospital.

Surviving are his wife, Julia, of North Hilltop Manor, Pella; his daughter, Marvene Hillier of Kansas City, Kan.; three grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; one great-great-granddaughter; his stepchildren, Ila Mae Huyser of Grinnell, Joyce Huizer of Knoxville, Lucille Nikkel of Grinnell, Bruce Baarda of Sully, Dean Baarda of Minneapolis, Minn., Karen Langstraat of Indianola and Karma Burman of Plano, Texas; 17 step-grandchildren; and 25 step-great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his first wife; two sisters, Alice and Helen; and five brothers, Herbert, Wendell, Harold and twins in infancy.