OBITUARY: Mazie Grace Stearns, 1909-2002, Mitchell County, Iowa

[Mitchell Co. Press-News - Posted Nov. 27, 2002 - www.mcpress.com ]


                        Mazie Grace Stearns
                        
Memorial services for Mazie Grace Stearns, 93, of Osage will be held at
1:30 pm Saturday, November 30, 2002, at the United Church of Christ in Osage.
Reverend  Robert Melhorn will officiate. A gathering of family and friends
will follow the service in the church fellowship hall. Inurment will be at
a later date in the Osage cemetery. Her body was donated to the University
of Iowa Medical School. Mazie died Friday, November 22, 2002 at the Faith
Lutheran Home in Osage.

She was born October 11, 1909 in Osage, the first child of Fred and Zadie
(Tupper) Stearns. Her entire life was spent in Osage except for her years
at college. She attended the Osage Schools and graduated in 1927 and
attended Carleton College in Northfield, MN graduating in 1931 with an
English and Latin degree. Because of the depression she was unable to
find employment with her degree, so she worked at Scott's Store, tutored
students, substitute taught  8th graders, wrote the Osage News for the
Mason City newspaper and worked for Bill Burns Insurance from 1942 to 1947.
In 1947 Mazie and her brother-in-law, Claire French, brought a women's and
children's clothing store from Jenny Kelly and operated the store until
1972, when they sold it to Jeannine Horn. Mazie golfed, bowled, played
cards, bicycled, gardened, knitted and entertained her four nieces and
one nephew. She was a member of the United Church of Christ where she was
envelope secretary for 62 years. She was a member of P.E.O. for 69 years.
Mazie
loved the Osage community and especially Spring Park. Many days were spent
walking in the park and enjoying a family picnic. She moved into her home
at 533 State Street 1n 1925 and lived there until her death. Mazie will
be sadly missed and forever remembered by her family.

Preceding her in death were her parents, a younger brother Dr. Fritz Stearns
in 1949 and a younger sister Bee Bradford in 1998.

Stearns's survivors include a brother Bill Stearns of Iowa City, sister
Helen French and husband Claire of Osage, four nieces Anne Tanner of Iowa
City, Nancy Danforth and husband Jerry of Cedar Rapids, Sally Miller and
her husband Bob of Osage, Jean Larson and her husband Lars of Fairfax, VA,
one nephew Dr. Rick Stearns and his wife Linda of Tulsa, OK and all of
their families.

Champion-Bucheit Funeral Home in Osage is in charge of the arrangements
(641) 732-3706.



Copyright (c) 2002 by Kermit Kittleson
(Note: I am not necessarily related to the subject of the obituary.)
This copy contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives.

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