Dr. Henry Steele VanVranken (1868-1938)

VANVRANKEN, VAN VRANKEN, OLSON, OLSEN, STRONG, ARNOLD, BUSENBARK

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 9/9/2024 at 13:13:26

From Story City Herald August 18, 1938 (page 1)

Last Rites For Van Vranken

Story City Veterinarian Died at an Early Hour Thursday Morning, After Two Months Sickness.

Funeral services were held Saturday afternoon for Dr. H. S. Van Vranken, local veterinarian, who died at 2:30 a.m. last Thursday morning. He had been sick for about two months following what appears to have been a slight stroke.

The last rites were held at home at 1:30, followed by a service in Grace church, with Rev. Bergeman officiating at both places. The pall bearers were Messrs. Pete Peterson, Ed Charlson, John H. Johnson, Andrew Owenson, Nels Larson and Martin Jensen.

Among those present from a distance were Messrs. Ed Mahan and Cliff Vorhees of Des Moines, Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Olsen of Chicago, Mrs. A. B. Rosenberger of Estherville, Ia., Mrs. Gwen MacDowell of Indianapolis, the Mosness family of Ames, and Ingvald Hill of McCallsburg.

Obituary

Henry Steele Van Vranken was born at Mason, Michigan, Nov. 6, 1868, and died in Story City August 11, 1938, being thus 69 years, 9 months and 5 days old at the time of his passing.

His parents were Nanning and Mary VanVranken, both of whom preceded him in death. With his parents he moved to Buffalo, N. Y., where he spent the young and formative time of his life, until at the age of 21 he went to Chicago.

In Chicago he obtained a position with the Postal Telegraph Co. and later with the Chicago & Great Western railroad. At this time he became a member of the Illinois National Guard, serving there three years and became a corporal in the regiment.

About 1894 he moved with his widowed mother to Des Moines and maintained a home there with her as long as she lived. He worked then as a dining car conductor on the railroad between Des Moines and Oelwein.

He graduated from the Kansas City veterinary college in 1910 and started on his career in the veterinary profession. He located in Story City in 1913 and remained here until 1917, when he married Mary Olson and they moved to Burt, Iowa. From there they moved to Missouri and later back to Iowa and finally to Story City three years ago.

His sickness dates back about two months, when he seems to have suffered a slight stroke, and from which time he gradually grew worse until the final summons came on Thursday morning.

Mr. VanVranken was reared as a Presbyterian, but as a young man affiliated with the Baptist church, of which an uncle was pastor. He had a love for music and sang in the church choir and later was a member of the college glee club. In later years he attended the sessions of the Men's Bible class in Grace church as his work and his health permitted.

He is survived by his wife and stepson, Raymond Strong. Of his immediate family the only other survivors are an aunt, Mrs. Della Arnold, and a cousin, Grace Busenbark, both of California. He had one brother who preceded him in death.