NEW HAMPTON - Elgin Pearce, 83, New Hampton, died Tuesday, May 1, 2001 at Mercy Medical Center in New Hampton of natural causes.

Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Saturday, May 5 at Trinity Lutheran Church in New Hampton with Rev. David Bergstrom and Rev. Kevin Frey officiating. Dennis Strum will be organist. Musical selections will include "Come, You Thankful People, Come", "How Great Thou Art" and "Amazing Grace", a saxophone duet performed by granddaughters Megan and Jocelyn Pearce. Megan and Jocelyn will also be the cross bearers.

Burial will be in the New Hampton Cemetery with Ron Flick, Frank Gruss, Steve Hove, Dr. Jerry Kronk, John Maas, Ron Vikdal and Don and Matt Ysbrand serving as casket bearers.

Visitation will be from 3-8 p.m. Friday, May 4 at Conway Funeral Home in New Hampton and an hour prior to services at the church.

Elgin Winona Amelsberg was born Jan. 31, 1918 near Lakota, the daughter of George Albert and Maggie (Michelson) Amelsberg. She graduated from Thompson High School and worked for the FBI in Washington, DC for a short time. On Dec. 9, 1945, she was united in marriage with Stanley H. Pearce. After their marriage the couple lived in the Thompson and Forest City areas until moving to Tempe, AZ in 1952. The couple moved to New Hampton in April 1958 where Elgin worked as a cook at the New Hampton Public School, then managed and operated Elgin's Dairy Creme from 1967 until 1974, when she retired. Elgin was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church and American Legion Auxiliary. She enjoyed bowling, and was a member of the New Hampton Women's Bowling Hall of Fame, inducted in 1989. She also enjoyed her granddaughters.

Surviving are two sons, Rodney (Diana); New Hampton, Sid, Des Moines; two granddaughters, Megan and Jocelyn Pearce; two sisters, Juanita Evans, Sunland, CA, Rose Randall, Albert Lea, MN; one brother, Oliver Amelsberg, LaCrescenta, CA.

Preceding her in death were her husband, Stanley on July 17, 1997; parents; 12 brothers and sisters.

Source: New Hampton Tribune; May 4, 2001 Page 4
from Elma library collection assembled by Marian (Marr) McGee
Transcribed by ABBYY FineReader® 12, Adapted to the Web by Bill Waters