| 216 | Community History, Zearing, Iowa | 216 |
Andrew Patton Post 239, Zearing, Iowa, was organized on October 16, 1883, with C. H. Brock of Marshalltown, Iowa, in charge. The first officers were :
| John C. Burkhart | Commander |
| Ira Barnes | Senior Vice Commander |
| Samuel R. Davis | Officer of the Day |
| Daniel E. Weatherly | Quartermaster |
| Henry T. Dimmitt | Outer Guard |
| Gordon Wood | Junior Vice Commander |
| Thomas E. Delaney | Adjutant |
| Montgomery Hamilton | Sergeant at Arms |
| John F. Oldenburg | Quartermaster Sergeant |
| Barnes, Ira | Hamilton, Montgomery |
| Burkhart, John C. | Helwig, Charles |
| Chance, Jonathan | Oldenburg, John F. |
| Davis, Samuel R. | Shafer, William H. |
| Delaney, Thomas E. | Weatherly, Daniel E. |
| Dimmitt, Henry T. | Wood, Gordon |
| 1883-85 | John C. Burkhart | 1895 | William H. Shafer |
| 1886 | Martin Van Buren | 1896 | Zenas C. Burdick |
| Bump | 1897 | Edward J. McGrogan | |
| 1887 | John C. Burkhart | 1899 | Bennett A. Armstrong |
| 1888-89 | Ira Barnes | 1901 | Bennett A. Armstrong |
| 1890 | William H. Shafer | 1902 | Sylvester Abe Stallings |
| 1891-94 | John C. Burkhart | ||
The minute books of Post 239 have been lost. The incomplete list of commanders was obtained from reports by the post to the G. A. R. office in Des Moines.
Old timers told us that the men of Post 239 marched with snap and precision on Memorial Days. Little girls of the community were chosen to help decorate the graves. The girls were eager to help because John C. Burkhart always treated them to ice cream after the ceremonies. Ice cream was a special treat in those days.
Allen's history of Story county has an account of a reunion of the soldiers of Story county in August of 1887. Allen said that the Zearing veterans arrived in special style. Zearing had a four horse wagon surmounted by an arbor-like canopy.
Clifford J. Greenberg's history of Post 116 contains the story of the meeting which marked the end of the activity of Andrew Patton Post 239. At this dramatic meeting held on June 15, 1921, the remaining Civil War veterans of Zearing sadly presented the flag of Post 239 to the men of World War I.