Slife, Earl Jr. 1921-2007

SLIFE, VENARD, BEELNER

Posted By: Paul Van Dyke-Volunteer
Date: 1/31/2015 at 23:30:35

Source: North West Iowa Review (7-2007)

Birth: June 12, 1921
Death: July 24, 2007

HAWARDEN, IOWA- EARL V. SLIFE, JR, 86, of Hawarden, Iowa passed away on Tuesday, July 24, 2007 at the Hillcrest Health Care Center in Hawarden.

Memorial Service will be 11:00 a.m. Saturday at the United Methodist Church in Hawarden with Rev. Tim Walker officiating. Private family interment at Grace Hill Cemetery will precede the memorial service. Visitation will begin at noon Friday, with a Prayer Service at 7:00 p.m. Friday at the Porter Funeral Home in Hawarden.

Earl V. Slife, Jr. was born June 12, 1921 in Hawarden, Iowa, the son of Earl Vincent Slife and Bernice Venard Slife. He graduated from Hawarden High School in 1939 and attended college prior to entering the military service. He served with the US Army Air Corps from February 1943 to December of 1945, spending 21 months overseas.

In 1953 he was joined in marriage to LaVonne Beelner and to that union there are five daughters, Pam, Jeri, Julie, Cynthia, and Jane. After graduating from the University Of South Dakota Law School he opened his practice in 1950 in Hawarden, where he lived his entire life except for time out for the years in the military. Earl practiced law for 35 years and then worked in the Farmers State Bank until retiring in 2002.

Earl was a 70 year member of the United Methodist Church, where he served in various capacities and was a long time member of the American Legion. He served on the Hawarden School Board and continued on the West Sioux School Board for a total of 8 years. He served on the Farmers State Bank Board for 52 years. He was proud to say he was the Hawarden Citizen of the Year in 1980. Earl was an avid fan of the Iowa Hawkeyes and the St. Louis Cardinals. He enjoyed playing golf in his younger years but sailing became his main passion with his free time.

Earl is survived by his wife, LaVonne of 53 years; his step mother, Edith Slife of Hawarden; 5 daughters, Pam and husband Chirrs Russo of Ogden, Utah, Jeri and husband Bob Brewington of Hawarden, Julie and husband Tom Theiler of Long Island, New York, Cynthia and husband Steve Latimer of Salt Lake City, Utah, and Jane Noble of Norman, Oklahoma; 10 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; 3 nieces and 1 nephew.

Earl was preceded in death by his parents, Earl, Sr. and Bernice; brother, Harry Slife and his wife Polly; his son-in-law, Roy Noble; and granddaughter, Cynthia Lee Wasser.