Michael W Duffy

In an earlier post I wrote about Patrick Duffy who died in 1946 at Japan. Tragically, the baby brother & son of the Duffy family died 12 years later at the age of 14.  

courtesy of Jeff Gragg - Find A Grave

Odebolt Chronicle, Thurs, 24 Jul 1958

M Duffy Killed In Boat Mishap - Son of Former Resident Dies In Fort Worth Hospital From Injuries

Michael Duffy, 15, youngest son of Mr and Mrs Ward Duffy of Fort Worth, Texas was killed in a boat accident at that place Monday afternoon. His grief stricken father called relatives here to inform them of the tragedy and stated that the lad was parking boats and in some manner became entangled in the propeller of the motor. He was seriously injured and died from loss of blood. The accident occurred at 12:30 Monday afternoon and he succumbed in a hospital at 2 o'clock that afternoon. Relatives did not learn the full particulars of the accident. The Duffy's lost a son, Pat in World War II. Michael is survived by his parents, four sisters, Margaret Ann, Marilyn, Katherine, Jill and one brother, Jack. The Duffy family lived in Odebolt at one time, later moving to Spencer and then to Fort Worth. Mrs Duffy was formerly Alice Peck. Mr and Mrs Ray Cranston of Long Beach, Calif, who are visiting here, accompanied by Mrs Edmund Bengford and Mrs Ambrose Snyder left Tuesday morning for Fort Worth. Mrs Cranston and Mrs Duffy are sisters. Walter Duffy accompanied by his sisters, Mrs William Corigan of Remsen and Mrs Willis Comfort of Onawa left the home of their brother. It was not known just when funeral services would be held.

Two Cranston Brothers

Donald Ray Cranston & Bruce Norman Cranston were the two youngest children born to John Ray Cranston & Zylpha Ellen Peck.

courtesy of Marcia McKown Hummel - Find A Grave

Donald married Bernadine Marie Dinges, the daughter of Alfred Dinges & Helena Determann, and they had 8 children - Steven, Roger, Gregory, Jeffery, Cathy, John, Mary & Thomas. 

Odebolt Chronicle, Thurs, 25 Apr 1963

D Cranston Dies in Farm Accident - Services Held Monday for Odebolt Farmer

Donald Cranston, 42, was killed in a bulldozer accident about 430 Thursday afternoon on the Mrs Irving Turner farm at the east edge of town. His son, Steve, rented the Turner farm and they worked together. Cranston and Robert Neville were clearing tree stumps in a pasture bordering Highway No 4 east of the swimming pool and were digging a pit at the time of the accident. Sac County medical Examiner, Dr CE Lierman of Lake View, who was called to the accident scene, stated that Cranston evidently slipped into the pit just as the bulldozer descended. Death from head and arm injuries was instantaneous. Funeral services were held at St Martin's Church at 10 o'clock Monday morning, April 22. The Rev Linus Eisenbacher, priest of St Martin's Church, Father Harry Daily of Ida Grove, Father Robert Joynt of Sanborn and Father Edward Carpenter of Early officiated at the Solemn Requim High Mass. The Children's Choir sang. Burial was in St Martin's Cemetery at Odebolt with Clayton Schroeder, Norman Schroeder, Darrell Schroeder, Carl Linster, Ed Wolterman and Austin Babcock, all of Odebolt, the attendants. Donald Ray Cranston was born April 5, 1921 at Oldebolt, Sac County Iowa, the son of J R and Zylpha Cranston. He lived all his life at Odebolt except for a few months in service. He attended St Martin's school and graduated from Odebolt High School with the class of 1939. He was married to Bernadine Dinges August 20, 1942 at Sacred Heart Church in Ida Grove. They farmed near Odebolt.  Eight children were born to them. Mr Cranston was a member of Gonzaga Council of the Knights of Columbus at Odebolt, a member of Roose Post No 313 of the American Legion, an ASC Township Committeeman, and a member of the Odebolt Swimming Pool Board. He served in the United States Air Force from March 1943 until June the same year. He received an honorable discharge, and returned to farm because of the ill health of his father. He was preceded in death by an infant daughter, Mary Ellen and his mother. Survivors are his wife, Bernadine; six sons, Steven who farmed with his father; Roger, a freshman at Iowa State University at Ames; and at home, Gregory, Jeffery, John and Tom, and one daughter, Cathy.  Also surviving are his father, J R Cranston of Odebolt; two brothers, Keith of Leland, Miss, and Bruce of Popejoy; three sisters, Darlene Nitzek of Enterprize, Oreg, Alice Snyder of Arthur, and Phyllis Bengford of Odebolt. Relatives attending the services from a distance were Mr and Mrs Lee Cranston, and Mrs Harold Cranston, Huron, SD; Mr and Mrs Raymond Frevert, and Mrs Ella Frevert, Big Stone City, Sd; Mr and Mrs Curt Nass, Mrs Floyd Larson and Mrs Ellsworth Ady of Flandreau, SD; Mr and Mrs Ward Duffy and daughter, Kay of Fort Worth, Texas; Keith Cranston of Leland, Miss; Mr and Mrs Lawrence Bengford of Dorchester, Wis; Mr and Mrs Francis Engelking of Riverside, Cal. Others coming for the services were from Ida Grove, Arthur, Wall Lake, Denison, Schaller, Early, Lake View, Kiron, Council Bluffs, Holstein, Halbur, Carroll, Sac City, Storm Lake and Cherokee.

 
Odebolt Chronicle, Thurs, 25 Oct 1979
Funeral Services for Bernadine Cranston, 55, were held Monday, October 22, 1979 at 10:30 am at St martin Catholic Church. Father Harry Dailey officiated. Organist was Mabel Schoeberl and mass servers were Grant and Reed Snyder. Honorary attendants were Robert Carnine, Ted Leonard, Francis Simon, Dean Isaacs, Steve Kofmehl and Cletus Bond. Active attendants were Daniel Snyder, James Snyder, Steve Hauschildt, Robert Miller, John Miller and Jim Miller. Burial was in ST Martin Catholic Cemetery. Bernadine M Cranston was born march 9, 1924 to Alfred and Helena Determann Dinges in Sac County. She was married August 20, 1942 to Donald Cranston in Ida Grove. Donald died in 1963. She was a member of St Martin Catholic Daughters, and the American Legion Auxiliary. She had been a secretary for IPS until her retirement in January 1979 due to illness. She died Saturday, October 20 at the home of her sister, Mrs Leo Miller following a prolonged illness of cancer. Bernadine is survived by seven children: Steven, Roger and Jeffrey all of Odebolt; Gregory of Yuma, Co; Mrs Cathy Maynard of Council Bluffs; John of St Louis, MO and Thomas of Iowa City; four sisters, Mrs Irene Miller of Odebolt, Mrs Leone Rife of Riverside, CA; Mrs Mrytle Engleking of Riverside, CA and Mrs Marjorie Hauschildt of Ida Grove and 16 grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband; one daughter, Mary Ellen and a sister, Charlotte.
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courtesy of Ann - Find A Grave

Bruce married twice. First to Elizabeth Mary Peck, the daughter of Claude Peck & Laura Pfeifer and they had 7 children - Cluadeen, Brad, Becky, Mark, Cindy, Michael & Jay.  After Betty's death in 1985, Bruce married Carolyn Jean LaMar who died in 2007.

Odebolt Chronicle, Thurs, 27 Apr 1989
Bruce N Cranston, 63, of Storm Lake, died on April 15, 1989 at Iowa Methodist Hospital in Des Moines following a short illness. Mr Cranston was born on August 28, 1925 in Odebolt to John R and Zylpha (Peck) Cranston. Bruce was married to Betty (Peck) Cranston on April 24, 1947 in Sioux City.  She passed away on June 20, 1985. To this union seven children were born: Claudeen, Brad, Mar, Becky, Cindy, Mike and Judy. He married Carolyn Jean La Mar on October 11, 1986 in Des Moines. Bruce was raised in Odebolt, Iowa, where he graduated from high school, after serving in the US Army during World War II. He received a BA in Science from Buena vista College and a Degree from Drake University. He had coached, taught and served as superintendent for 28 years in the following schools in Iowa: Meservey, Wesley, Alden Community, Sioux Rapids, Burt Community, Paton-Churdan, and Terril.  For the last 14 years he had been a salesman for the Equitable Life Assurance Society and Life Insurance Company. He had served as president of the Methodist Manor Care Review Committee, he was past-president of the Columbus Club of the Knights of Columbus and a member of the 4th Degree Rosati Assembly of the Knights of Columbus.  He had retired in August of 1988. He was preceded in death by his parents, his first wife Betty, a sister Darlene, and two brothers, Donald and Keith. Bruce is survived by his wife Carolyn, three daughters, Claudeen (Mrs Donald Buettner) of Twin Falls, Idaho, Becky Bunte of Belton, Texas, and Cindy (Mrs Richard Fleton of tempe, Arizona; 4 sons, Brad and his wife Peni of Dunedin, Florida, Mark and his wife Kathy of Jefferson, Iowas, Mike and his wife Geralyn of Twin Falls, Idaho, and Jay and his wife Cathy of Dunedin, Florida; twelve grandchildren, two sisters, Phyllis (Mrs Edmund Bengford) of Ida Grove and Alice (Mrs Ambrose Snyder) of Arthur and his mother-in-law Laura Peck of Alta. Funeral services were held on Tuesday, April 18, 1989 at St Mary's Catholic Church in Storm Lake with Father Paul-Louis Arts officiating. Burial was in St Mary's Cemetery in Storm Lake. Farber and Otteman Funeral Home of Storm Lake was in charge of arrangements.

Cranston Siblings

Robert Keith Cranston & Darline Anne Cranston were the first two children born to  John Ray Cranston & Zylpha Ellen Peck.

Robert married Izella Aletha Reppe, the daughter of Ludwig (Louis) & Enora Patterson. Robert & Izella had 4 children - Sylvia, Robert Jr, Kenneth & Philip.

Odebolt Chronicle, Thurs, 1 Dec 1988

Robert Cranston Sr - A funeral Mass for Robert Keith Cranston Sr, 74, of Leland, Mississippi was held Monday at St James Catholic Church in Leland.  The Rev Patrick Farrell of St Joseph's Parish of Greenville, Mississippi, Rev Charles Bacclantine, St James Parish, Leland, Mississippi, Rev Gerry Hurly, St Richards Parish, Jackson, Mississippi officiated. He died November 19, 1988, at South Washington County Hospital, Hollandale. Burial was in Greenlawn Memorial Gardens, Greenville, under the direction of Boone Funeral Home, Leland. He was a native of Odebolt, Iowa, where he attended school. He received his bachelor of science degree in forestry in 1936 at Iowa State University, where he competed in state, intercollegiate and Big Eight Conference athletics while in training for the 1936 Olympics. He was a forester in Tennessee and Alabama. He served as control officer with the US Army Corps of Engineers in Camp Tyson, Tennessee and Alabama. He served as control officer with the US Army Corps of Engineers in Camp Tyson, Tennessee, and was the first forester with the Louisiana Forestry Service, a projects forester with the Timber Production War Project in Louisianan, an appraiser with the US Forestry Service on the reappraisal of the South and in 1946 was a forester with the US Forestry Service in Stoneville. He resigned from the Forestry Service to establish a private forestry consultant business in 1947 with headquarters in Leland. He remained in private business until his retirement because of ill health. In forestry nationally for more than 50 years, he was a member of the Society of American Forestry, Broadleaf Chapter of the Society of American Foresters and the Southern Hardwood Forestry Group. He was a registered forester and repeatedly qualified as a a professional forester. He was a communicant of St James Catholic Church. He is survived by his wife, Izella Reppe Cranston of Leland; a daughter, Sylvia Ann Guy of Tupelo; three sons, Robert K Cranston Jr of Greenville, Kenneth Ray Cranston of Memphis, and Dr Philip Edwin Cranston of Jackson; two sisters, Alice Margaret Snyder of Arthur, Iowa and Phyllis C Bengford of Ida Grove, Iowa; a brother, Bruce Cranston of Storm Lake, Iowa; 11 grandchildren and six great grandchildren. Those attending from here: Mr and Mrs Ambrose Snyder, Arthur; Mrs Bob Lenz, Storm Lake; and Mr and Mrs Edmund Bengford, Ida Grove.

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Darline Anne Cranston, who was nicknamed Lovely Dolly, married Dr Vincent Marion Nitzke & had one son, John Andrew Nitzke.

courtesy of Gravely & Morticia Diggens - Find A Grave

The Odebolt Chronicle, Thurs, 29 Jan 1970
Funeral Services For Mrs V M Nitzke Held In Oregon
Arthur - Darline Ann Nitzke passed away Tuesday, January 20, 1970, following a car-truck accident that occurred as she was en route to a staff meeting of the State Child Welfare at Baker, Oregon. The accident occurred at LaGrande, Oregon, fifty miles from her home in Enterprise, Oregon. Darline Ann Cranston was born July 16, 1915 at Odebolt, Iowa to Jr and Zylpha Cranston. She was a graduate of Buena Vista College and was a State Child Welfare worker at Baker, Oregon at the time of her death. In 1938 she was married to Dr V M Nitzke at Fairmont, Minn. Survivors include her husband; a son, John A of Tacoma, Wash; two grandsons, John V and Tony W; sisters, Mrs Edmund (Phyllis) Bengford of Ida Grave and Mrs Ambrose (Alice) Snyder, Arthur; brothers Keith of Leland, Miss and Bruce of Churdan, Iowa. She was preceded in death by a brother, Don and her parents. The rosary was recited Friday evening, January 23, 1970 at Bollman Chapel. Father Martin Quigley offered requiem mass at 9:00 am on Saturday, January 24, 1970 at St Katherine's Catholic Church in enterprise, where Darline was a member. Music was furnished by soloist Marilyn Anderson and organist Ada Duncan. Bearers were W H Wergen, Bud Lewis, Vergil Crane, Max Dutli, S J Farris and Joe Hausler. Interment was in the Enterprise Catholic Cemetery.
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Thank You For Serving

courtesy of Jeff Gragg - Find A Grave

Patrick Dean Duffy was the son of Francis Ward Duffy & Alice Marie Peck and as soon as he turned 18, he enlisted. Tragically, in January of 1946, the Duffy family received the news that their son, their brother, had died in Japan.

Ancestry - Iowa WWII Bonus Files For Beneficiaries, 1947-1959

Odebolt Chronicle, Thurs, 10 Jan 1946

Patrick C Duffy Dies After Vehicle Mishap In Japan

The Walter Duffy family of Odebolt, received the sad news Sunday of the accidental death of their nephew, Patrick C Duffy, son of Mr and Mrs Ward Duffy of Spencer, former Odebolt residents. A telegram had been received by his parents on Sunday and the following account is reprinted from the Spencer Daily Reporter. After surviving more than two war years in one of the most hazardous branches of any military service, the paratroopers - Patrick C Duffy, 20, of Spencer, died as a result of injuries sustained in a vehicular accident on Honshu Island, Japan, according to a war department telegram received by his parents here Sunday morning. The brief tragic message was brought to his parents, Mr and Mrs Ward Duffy, as they sat with their family at services in the Sacred Heart Catholic Church Sunday morning. No further details of the accident which caused the death of the popular local youth were available here today, but a letter giving more particulars of the fatal mishap was expected soon. Duffy had attended local schools and had been employed at Driscoll's in Spencer before he enlisted for army service more than two years ago, as soon as he attained the age of 18. He was sent as a volunteer to the paratrooper training base at Fort Benning, Ga. Following completion of training there, he was home on furlough late in December, 1944. After the expiration of his furlough, he went overseas and was serving in the occupation armies in Japan when he died after the accident. Other camps in which he was stationed included North Camp Hood, Texas; Camp Gruber, Okla, and Camp McCall, SC. A mass was held Monday morning at the Sacred Heart Church and a military memorial service will be held there in the near future it was announced. The dark-curly-haired youth was well known throughout the city and his death came as a shock to the community. he is survived by his parents and six brothers and sisters. His father is employed at the Peerless hatchery here and the Duffy family resides at 317 West Second Street. He is a nephew of the Ray Cranstons of Long Beach, Cal, and the Glen Pecks of Fort Worth, Texas, former Odebolt residents.