64786_Rev. Harlan A._Stenberg
Clear Lake — The Rev. Harlan A. Stenberg, 91, Clear Lake, Iowa, died Wednesday afternoon, June 5, 2013, at the IOOF Home, Mason City.
Memorial services will be held on Friday, July 19, at 2 p.m. at Grace United Methodist Church, 200 14th St. N.W., Mason City, Iowa.
Officiating will be the Rev. Steve Hansen, Deacon Brent Hamilton of Grace, and the Rev. David Maxfield, nephew of Harlan.
A gathering for family and friends will be from 4 until 8 p.m. on Thursday, July 18, at Fullerton Funeral Home, 123 Second St. S.E., Mason City.
Inurnment will be in Greenwood Cemetery, Cedar Falls at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 20.
Those planning an expression of sympathy may wish to consider memorials to the Music Keyboard Fund at Grace United Methodist.
Condolences may be shared with the family at www.Fullertonfh.com.
Harlan Allan was born on April 22, 1922, at Radcliffe, Iowa, the son of Hedley Oscar and Esther Alvida (Johnson) Stenberg. He graduated from Radcliffe High School in 1940 and attended John Fletcher College until he was drafted in 1943. He served his country as a chaplain’s assistant with the rank of sergeant in the Army Air Corps and was honorably discharged in 1946 in Panama, Balboa Air Force Base. He then attended Luther College graduating with a B.A. degree in 1949. He attended Evangelical Theological Seminary in Naperville, Ill., graduating in 1953, while also serving a church in Wilton.
During his time at Luther College, Harlan enjoyed his first date with Jean roller skating and two years later on August 22, 1948, he was united in marriage to Miss Hills at the First Baptist Church in Cedar Falls.
Harlan went through several mergers in church conferences starting with the Evangelical, which merged with the United Brethren to become the Evangelical United Brethren, which later became the United Methodist Church.
For 44 years he and his wife Jean served in the Iowa United Methodist Conference serving in Cresco and Mt. Zion, Wilton, Ross, Van Horne/Blairstown, Mason City, Kanawha, and Lake Mills/Thompson. In 1988 he retired the first time, moving to Hazelton where he served as a retired pastor.
In 1991 he and Jean moved to Clear Lake, retiring for the second time. After a couple of years of retirement, Harlan accepted the invitation of the congregation of the Congregational United Church of Christ in Britt to serve as a supply pastor for two years.
He was a very principled man of honor and would stand his ground when he was right. One of his favorite things was visiting with people in his creative and compassionate manner, which are excellent attributes for a minister. He excelled at making people smile and making the Good News of God’s love and redemption understandable and approachable to all. He enjoyed traveling, bird watching, photography and fishing with his family. Harlan took great pleasure in driving and especially loved the challenge of maneuvering through a blizzard safely.
Harlan and Jean shared a passion for the theater and musical events. He learned to play the tuba and the double bell euphonium.
Harlan was a member of the VFW, Sons of Norway, the Danish Brotherhood, and played many years in the church softball leagues. He was a member of the ministerial associations in each community he served and later sold United Church Directories to many different churches.
Harlan is survived by his loving wife of 64 years Jean, two children Karen Stenberg, Mason City, Andrew and his wife Sue of Tulsa, Okla.; five grandchildren John, Lori, Joni (Brian), Phillip (Linzy), and Patti Stenberg, three great grandchildren, John, Sean, and Harlan, one niece, Sandy (Glenn) Johnson and one nephew, David Maxfield.
His parents, one grandson, Stephen, two sisters, Edith Jorgenson and Darlene Maxfield, and one niece, Sue Mehlish, preceded Harlan in death.
Fullerton Funeral Home, Mason City, 641-423-8676, www.Fullertonfh.com.