Strum, George C. Rev. -- 1910 - 2000

HALS, STRUM, ALLISON, ODDEN, BEAR, AMUNDSON, LARSON, CHRISTIANSON

Posted By: IA GenWeb Volunteer
Date: 6/28/2010 at 21:03:11

Decorah Journal, Thursday, December 21, 2000

George C. Strum

Rev. George Strum, 90, of Decorah, died Monday, Dec. 18, 2000 at Barthell Eastern Star Nursing Home.

Visitation will be held Thursday, Dec. 21 from 4-7 p.m. at Fjelstul Funeral Home and on Friday, Dec. 22 after 1 p.m. at First Lutheran Church in Decorah.

Funeral services will be held Friday at 2 p.m. at First Lutheran Church in Decorah with Rev. Carol Tomer and Rev. Steven M. Jacobsen officiating.

Pallbearers are Maren Bear, Rebecca Bear, Kari Odden, Scott Odden, David Amundson, Dick Amundson and Steven Amundson. Honorary Pallbearers are C. H. Carpenter, Rev. Jacob Enderson, Rev. Owen Gangstead, Rev. Eugene Soland and Weston H. Noble.

Burial will be at Lutheran Cemetery, with Fjelstul Funeral Home of Decorah handling arrangements.

George C. Strum was born April 1, 1910 at Oconomowoc, Wisc, to Albert and Albertine (Hals) Strum.

He graduated from Luther College in 1934 and from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minn, in 1937.

On June 18, 1937 he was united in marriage to Arline Allison of Decorah at First Lutheran Church in Decorah. For 63 years they loved and cherished each other.

George Strum's first call was to a four point parish in Amery, Wisc. Subsequently he served the following parishes: Yellowstone Lutheran in Argyle, Wisc.; a three point parish in Ettrick, Wisc.; Zion Lutheran Church in Clear Lake, and St. Peter Lutheran in Story City.

Upon relocating to Decorah in 1965, George Strum served in the Development Office at Luther College as a Regional Director of Stewardship of the American Lutheran Church, and Assistant to the Bishop of the ALC lowa District until his retirement in 1975.

During World War II he served as Chaplain in the U.S. Navy from 1943-46, most of his service being with the U.S. Marine Corps. He made four landings in the Pacific theatre, the Marshall Islands, Saipan, Tinian and Iwo Jima. He was awarded the Navy commendation and two Presidential Unit Citations. He was retired with the rank of Commander.

In 1980 Rev. George Strum was presented the Distinguished Service Award by Luther College. He served on the Board of Regents of Waldorf College and on the boards of Riverside and Ewalu Bible Camps. In Decorah he was a member of First Lutheran Church, Luren Singing Society, Symra Society and VFW Post 1977. He also was a class agent for his 1934 Luther College class.

George Strum will be remembered for his enthusiasm and love of family, Luther College, the Church, its missions and his many friends.

Survivors include his daughters, Miriam and Fran Odden of Milwaukee, Wisc.; Karen and Robert Bear of Orlando, Fla.; four grandchildren, Scott and Carrie Odden of Oregon, Wisc.; Kari Odden and Bob Carey of Mount Vernon, Wash.; Maren Bear of Iowa City and Rebecca Bear of Atlanta, Ga. and two great-grandchildren, Kjetil Odden and Grant Carey Odden and his twin sister Clare Amundson of Granite Falls, Minn.

Preceding Rev. George C. Strum in death were his wife, Arline, on July 18, 2000, and two sisters, Margaret Larson and Agnes Christianson.

The family has requested that in lieu of flowers, memorials be given to the George and Arline Strum Scholarship Fund at Luther College, First Lutheran Church in Decorah, Shalom Lutheran Church in Alexandria, Minn, or Barthell O.E.S. Home in Decorah.

Transcribed by an IA GenWeb Volunteer from obituaries found in the Howard-Winneshiek Genealogy Society Library, Cresco, Iowa.