Harold E. Andersen
February 4, 1921 — March 30, 2014
Harold Eugene Andersen was born on February 4, 1921 to Edward and Anna (Christiansen) Andersen in Harlan, Iowa. He was one of five children and attended country school through third grade.
At age seven, Harold began accompanying his father to the sale barns. His father would even drop young Harold off alone at a sale with instructions to buy boars or cattle while his dad headed to another nearby sale. It was the kind of trust that turns farm boys into men at a young age.
Harold took over his father's farm in 1950, and to no one's surprise, he built a solid farming operation. In some years he would purchase and finish out 4,000 head of hogs and 1,200 head of cattle, buying almost all of them at local auctions.
On December 26, 1960, he was united in marriage to Sarah Longcor in Oakland, Iowa. Together they farmed the land his father had purchased from Harold's maternal grandparents until Sarah's death in 1997.
With more than seventy years of sale barn experience under his belt, Harold began passing on his cattle judging skills to his grandson, just as his immigrant father had passed them on to him years ago. Grandfather and grandson continued going to the sale barn almost every other week and to successfully farm the family's land.
Harold became a resident of Avoca Nursing and Rehab Center in February of this year. This is where he died on Sunday, March 30, 2013, having attained the age of ninety-three years, one month, and twenty-six days. In addition to his parents, Harold was preceded in death by two sisters: Maurine and Valdean; his wife of thirty-seven years, Sarah, and step-son Keith Owens.
Harold is survived by his significant other, Katie Sorensen of Harlan, Iowa; his step-daughter Sandra and her husband Donald Pesicka of Kansas City, Kansas; four grandchildren: Sharl, Kimberly, Rod, and Lucinda; sister Marilyn Arnold of Loveland, Colorado; brother Ken Andersen and his wife Mary; other relatives and friends.
Pastor Diana Holland of Altamont Baptist Church officiated the 2:00 PM funeral service on Wednesday, April 2, 2014 at Pauley Jones Funeral Home in Harlan, Iowa. Helen Warren provided the music. Serving as casket bearers were Jeff Hansen, Darrell Mathiasen, Kirk Jacobsen, Dalton Jensen, Lonnie Longcor, and Anthony Behrens. Interment was held at Cuppy's Grove Cemetery in rural Harlan.
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At age seven, Harold began accompanying his father to the sale barns. His father would even drop young Harold off alone at a sale with instructions to buy boars or cattle while his dad headed to another nearby sale. It was the kind of trust that turns farm boys into men at a young age.
Harold took over his father's farm in 1950, and to no one's surprise, he built a solid farming operation. In some years he would purchase and finish out 4,000 head of hogs and 1,200 head of cattle, buying almost all of them at local auctions.
On December 26, 1960, he was united in marriage to Sarah Longcor in Oakland, Iowa. Together they farmed the land his father had purchased from Harold's maternal grandparents until Sarah's death in 1997.
With more than seventy years of sale barn experience under his belt, Harold began passing on his cattle judging skills to his grandson, just as his immigrant father had passed them on to him years ago. Grandfather and grandson continued going to the sale barn almost every other week and to successfully farm the family's land.
Harold became a resident of Avoca Nursing and Rehab Center in February of this year. This is where he died on Sunday, March 30, 2013, having attained the age of ninety-three years, one month, and twenty-six days. In addition to his parents, Harold was preceded in death by two sisters: Maurine and Valdean; his wife of thirty-seven years, Sarah, and step-son Keith Owens.
Harold is survived by his significant other, Katie Sorensen of Harlan, Iowa; his step-daughter Sandra and her husband Donald Pesicka of Kansas City, Kansas; four grandchildren: Sharl, Kimberly, Rod, and Lucinda; sister Marilyn Arnold of Loveland, Colorado; brother Ken Andersen and his wife Mary; other relatives and friends.
Pastor Diana Holland of Altamont Baptist Church officiated the 2:00 PM funeral service on Wednesday, April 2, 2014 at Pauley Jones Funeral Home in Harlan, Iowa. Helen Warren provided the music. Serving as casket bearers were Jeff Hansen, Darrell Mathiasen, Kirk Jacobsen, Dalton Jensen, Lonnie Longcor, and Anthony Behrens. Interment was held at Cuppy's Grove Cemetery in rural Harlan.
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