Stearns

        

Evelyn [Routh], Josephine [Ruark], Harold, Carrie [Edgerton], Carol [Keller]

Otis, Earnest, mother - Cora (Herndon) Stearns, John

The father, John, was killed in an accident before the youngest son, John was born.

         Earnest Edwin Stearns, son of John Crockford and Cora Belle (Herndon) Stearns, was born June 3, 1919, in Woodburn.  He married Helen Lucille Howe on January 26, 1944, in Princeton, Missouri.  Helen, the daughter of Leo Preston and Lela (Hadley) Howe of Indianola, Iowa, was born on February 29, 1924.  Earnest farmed for years south of Woodburn and enjoyed hunting. They are members of the Woodburn Christian Church.  Helen was bookkeeper for Robinson’s Department Store in Osceola for many years.  Earnest passed away on January 18, 1995, at Osceola, Iowa.    Helen died on October 6, 2003.    They are buried at the Woodburn Cemetery.    Their children:  Norma Jean [Oliver], Janice Elaine [Gray] and Joseph Edwin "Joe". 

       John Herndon “Johnny” Stearns, born April 25, 1930, in Woodburn.  He married Marian Jessen.  Johnny farmed near Woodburn and they later moved to Osceola.  He served as Clarke County Sheriff for 28 years.  He died on June 9, 2004.   Their children:  Douglas Michael, Teresa Diane, and Anthony John “Tony”.  Doug and wife, Beryl, live in Osceola where he operates the Osceola Cab and she works at Robinson’s.  Tony and wife, Sue, live on the Stearns homeplace in Woodburn where they built a new home.  Tony farms and is a farrier, Sue is a probation officer.

Otis and Ruth Stearns family

Dale, Otis, Ruth, Donald, Dwight, Darrell

Dave, Dennis

        Otis William Stearns, oldest son of John Crockford and Cora Belle (Herndon) Stearns, was born February 26, 1916, in Lucas County, Iowa.  He married Ruth Arlene Boyles on February 26, 1944, in Osceola, Iowa. Ruth is the daughter of Floyd Ferris and Fern (Thompson) Boyles and was born August 24, 1925, at New Virginia, Iowa. 

            Otis and Ruth farmed for many years east of Woodburn in Lucas County.  Otis had a backhoe and did various work for people in the community.  He also had Otie’s Fix-It Shop in Woodburn, where he did welding and machinery repair jobs.  Otis enjoyed playing the harmonica. Ruth made beautiful decorated cakes for weddings, anniversaries, and other special occasions for years.  She also cooked at the Congregate Meal Site in Osceola for eleven years.  Otis died on June 24, 1990, in Des Moines, Iowa, and is buried at the Woodburn Cemetery.  Ruth lives on the family farm in Lucas County with her daughter-in-law, Debra.