BERRY, Hester V. (1862-1953)

BERRY

Posted By: Debbie Alvarado (email)
Date: 8/12/2006 at 21:56:42

Nov. 26,1953

Hester Berry of Gladbrook Dies in Henkle Home.

Taken on Thanksgiving Day After Brief Illness at 91--Rites Monday at Gladbrook.

Mrs. Hester Berry, 91, passes away Thanksgiving morning Nov. 26, at 8 o'clock at the Henkle Convalescent Home in Traer after having been sick only one day of flu.

She was born April 6, 1862, near Foreston, Ill. Her early childhood was spent in the home of her grandfather at LaPorte City, Iowa. She taught school for 16 years, and when she was 36 years old she was married to Gordon Berry, whose first wife had been taken by death. She became the mother and helped him raise his six children. She also reared his grandson, Roger Spaulding, who now lives at San Francisco, Calif.

Her husband, "Gord" Berry, was one of Gladbrook's widely known pioneers. He and a brother-in-law had erected the first business building in the new town of Garwin in 1880. Three years later he had the distinction of erecting the first store building in the new town of Berlin, now Lincoln, which was born with the arrival of the Great Western railroad in 1883. He was also engaged in the well drilling business for a time, sold land in northwest Iowa, Minnesota, and Canada, farmed in Lincoln township, and while living in Gladbrook served as justice of the peace, constable and assessor.

Mrs. Berry was a woman with literary talent, and wrote poetry. She published two books of poems, one of 300 pages titled, "A Bunch of Twigs," a copy of which is in the Gladbrook public library; also a book of poems for children. She wrote poetry for many special occasions.

She was a member of the Church of God and a lifelong member and active worker in the W. C. T. U.

After the death of her husband in 1932 she lived alone, and enjoyed life and good health until 1950, when she entered the Busch Convalescent Home in Gladbrook. She had lived in the Henkle Convalescent Home in Traer since 1952.

She is survived by her step-children, Mabel Webster of Des Moines; Myrtle Buckles, of Boone, Abbie Berry, address unknown and Ralph Berry of Hutchison, Minn.; the grandson, Roger Spaulding, San Francisco, Calif; and a sister, Mrs. Christie Roth, of Roscoe, Ill.

Services were held at 2 o'clock p.m. Monday at the Goettsch Funeral Home at Gladbrook, the Rev. Charles Howe, pastor of the Church of God at Waterloo, officiating. Burial was in Badger Hill cemetery.