George H. Balster
March 5, 1912 — April 3, 2003
George H. Balster, 91, of Coggon, died Thursday evening, April 3, 2003, at the Good Neighbor Home in Manchester, after a short illness. Services: 10:30 a.m. Monday, April 7, 2003, at Peace Lutheran Church in Ryan by the Rev. Roger McKinstry and Vicar Steve Andersen. Burial: Oakwood Cemetery in Monticello. Friends may call Sunday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Murdoch Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Central City.
Survivors include two sons, Dr. George L. Balster of Creston, Illinois and Richard Balster and wife Wanda of Coggon; a daughter Ruth Ann Christensen of Denver, Colorado; two sisters, Margaret Sattler of Bellflower, California and Hilda Grings and husband Bill of Los Angeles, California.
Also surviving five grandchildren, Steve Balster, Jennifer Franzene, Sheri Miller, Beth Kamin and Sandra Shover; and eight great-grandchildren. George was preceded in death by his wife, his parents, a brother, Marion and three sisters, Frieda, Arlene and an infant sister.
George was born March 5, 1912, near Monticello to Lorenz F. and Anna Heiken Balster. He attended rural Castle Grove No. 4 and graduated from Monticello High School in 1929. On January 12, 1944, he was united in marriage to Mary M. Peterson at Center Junction. She died March 3, 1974. He farmed in the Castle Grove Township. In 1952 the couple moved to the Coggon area, where he farmed and worked at Collins Radio for twenty years, retiring in 1974. He retired from farming in 1975.
George was a member of Peace Lutheran Church in Ryan, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers; township clerk for Castle Grove Township; Agriculture Stabilization Committee and treasurer of St. Peter and Paul?s Church in Castle Grove Township, Monticello.
George enjoyed watching high school sports, fishing and going to dances.
Survivors include two sons, Dr. George L. Balster of Creston, Illinois and Richard Balster and wife Wanda of Coggon; a daughter Ruth Ann Christensen of Denver, Colorado; two sisters, Margaret Sattler of Bellflower, California and Hilda Grings and husband Bill of Los Angeles, California.
Also surviving five grandchildren, Steve Balster, Jennifer Franzene, Sheri Miller, Beth Kamin and Sandra Shover; and eight great-grandchildren. George was preceded in death by his wife, his parents, a brother, Marion and three sisters, Frieda, Arlene and an infant sister.
George was born March 5, 1912, near Monticello to Lorenz F. and Anna Heiken Balster. He attended rural Castle Grove No. 4 and graduated from Monticello High School in 1929. On January 12, 1944, he was united in marriage to Mary M. Peterson at Center Junction. She died March 3, 1974. He farmed in the Castle Grove Township. In 1952 the couple moved to the Coggon area, where he farmed and worked at Collins Radio for twenty years, retiring in 1974. He retired from farming in 1975.
George was a member of Peace Lutheran Church in Ryan, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers; township clerk for Castle Grove Township; Agriculture Stabilization Committee and treasurer of St. Peter and Paul?s Church in Castle Grove Township, Monticello.
George enjoyed watching high school sports, fishing and going to dances.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of George H. Balster, please visit our flower store.