C. Merle Rochford

C. Merle Rochford age 99, of New Hampton, Iowa died Friday morning, December 7, 2012, at the New Hampton Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, December 11, 2012, at Holy Family Parish-St. Joseph Center, New Hampton with Rev. Mark Osterhaus celebrating the Mass. The pall will be placed by Abby and Carie Knowlton, Olivia Rochford and Katie Gonzales. Lectors for the service will be Paul Trewin and James Rochford. Eucharistic Ministers will be Karen Ellsworth, Glenda Laures and Sandy Rochford. Interment will be in Calvary Cemetery, New Hampton with Keith Rochford, Justin Elliott, Tim Trewin, Joel Rochford, Nathan Rochford and Andy Rochford serving as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers are Merle Roths, Jim Holthaus, Chuck Galligan, Norb Steffen, Bill Weigel, Jim O’Connor, and John Winter. Friends may greet the family 3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Monday, December 10, 2012, at the Hugeback-Johnson Funeral Home in New Hampton where there will be a 4:00 p.m. Rosary and a 5:30 p.m. parish scripture service. Visitation continues an hour prior to the service at the church. Charles Merle Rochford was born April 23, 1913, in Fredericksburg, IA, the son of John and Nina (Brannon) Rochford. He attended the Stapleton #6 Rural Country School and was a 1932 graduate of the Lawler High School. Merle worked as a hired hand/laborer around the Lawler area, until the time of his marriage, when they started farming. On November 25, 1936, at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church in Lawler, he married (Gertrude) Berniece Finnegan. To this union seven children were born. The couple began farming in the Lawler area and after eleven years moved to a farm two miles west of New Hampton. The couple retired from farming in 1975 and moved into New Hampton in 1980. Merle was a life-long farmer at heart. As with most farmers, Merle was handy tinkering with motors, and somewhat of an engineer. The couple raised their family on the farm and had enjoyed many trips to Texas as well as to Ireland. Merle and Berniece were married over 74 years at the time of her death on June 8, 2011. Merle was a die hard Iowa Hawkeye fan, loving many sports He had a passion for gardening and loved to share his produce with family and friends. After losing his battle with glaucoma and macular degeneration he was forced to give up gardening, but still enjoyed being in the outdoors. He had been a member of the New Hampton Golf and Country Club, the National Farmers Organization, a Dayton Township Trustee and a director for the Federal Land Bank. He was also a member of the Knights Of Columbus #1697. Survivors include four sons, Charles (Connie) Rochford of Rochester, MN, Jerry (Jean) Rochford of New Hampton, Michael (Sandy) Rochford of Cedar Rapids, Rock (Peggy) Rochford of Cedar Rapids; three daughters, Sharon Trewin of New Hampton, Patricia Knowlton of Ionia, Roxann (Karl) Podratz of Rochester, MN; 21 grandchildren; 22 great-grandchildren; two step great-great grandchildren; one sister-in-law, Josephine Rochford of Sumner. He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Berniece on June 8, 2011; siblings, Ralph Rochford, Frances “Claire” Billmeyer, John “Bud” Rochford, Anna “Rose” Rochford and James Francis Rochford.