Bertrand “Bert” Franklin Eason, Jr., of Battle Creek, Iowa, passed away at the age of 93 on October 20, 2016 at Horn Memorial Hospital in Ida Grove. A Masonic service will be conducted at the gravesite in Scranton, Iowa at a later date.

He was born on February 20, 1923 in Scranton, Iowa, the eldest child of Bert, Sr., and Ruth (Phillips) Eason. He graduated from Scranton High School, served in the US Army Air Force in the South Pacific during World War II, and earned a bachelor’s degree in animal husbandry from Iowa State University, where he competed in wrestling and livestock judging and was a member of Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity as was his long-time friend the late Wade Hauser, Jr.

Bert was united in marriage on January 12, 1950 with Rosemary Catherine Murphy of Churdan, Iowa. The couple farmed in Scranton before moving to Battle Creek in 1956. Initially, Bert worked as a livestock buyer in Danbury. In 1957, the family moved to the farm on Battle Hill, east of Battle Creek. As a family, the Easons enjoyed swimming on summer evenings at the Battle Creek Beach Pool, 4-H activities (Bert served as a leader of the Maple Huskies), and participating in the Ida County Fair.

Bert loved watching things grow, cattle feeding, dog and horse training, fishing, hunting, and playing golf. In the last three of these activities, he was joined by family and many good friends, including the late Jim Witt of Battle Creek (fishing), the late Jack Leclair of Mission, Texas (hunting), and the late Louie Dempster of Mission, Texas (golfing). He also greatly enjoyed grilling and liked a wide variety of foods. Among his favorites were his mother’s butterscotch candy, morel mushrooms, sweet corn, Missouri peaches, gooseberry pie, Rosemary’s rhubarb sauce, Tiefenthaler brats, prime rib, bacon, chocolate-covered cherries, fried bluegills, and everything his daughter-in-law Melanie prepared.

Bert was a founding member of the Iowa Beef Industry Council and its first chair. He also served as president of the Ida County Beef Producers and as state director of the Iowa Beef Producers Association. In 1973, he was inducted into the Iowa State University Block and Bridle Club’s Hall of Fame for his service to the livestock industry.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 66 years: Rosemary of Battle Creek; six children: Cheryl of Storm Lake, Glen (Grace) of Ida Grove, Jay (Sandy) of Omaha, Terry (Melanie) of Battle Creek, Kay (Tom Klein) of Winnemucca, Nevada, and Brian of Battle Creek; eleven grandchildren: Maya of Ida Grove, Kami Byers of Cushing, Ben of Battle Creek, Samantha Robinson of Battle Creek, Thad (Dawn) of Hickman, Nebraska, Evan (Sarah) of Cambridge, Iowa, Gabriel of Battle Creek, Seth (Haleigh) of Ames, Iowa, Michael (Amanda) of Ida Grove, Patrick of Battle Creek, and Nakyya of St. Charles, South Dakota; three step-grandchildren: Ryan Rath of Pender, Nebraska, Shere (Travis) Tarman of Cedar Bluffs, Nebraska, and Diana Rath of Pender; eight great-grandchildren: Sierra, Blaise, and Gavin of Hickman, Nebraska, Sydney of Cambridge, Iowa, Ellah and Jerzy Byers of Cushing, Lexi and Phineas Robinson of Battle Creek, and Bodi of Battle Creek and Ida Grove; four step-great-grandchildren: Michah, Rhys, and Noa Tarman of Cedar Bluffs, Nebraska, and Elijah Rath of Pender; three brothers: Wilbur “Curly” (Helen) of Scranton, Frank (Karen) of Morton, Illinois, and Bruce (Jane) of Mission, Texas, and many nieces and nephews and great-nieces and nephews.


Bert was preceded in death by his parents; his sisters: Halcyon (Leonard) Dixon of Chowchilla, California, and Ada (Wilbur) Huisinga of Parkersburg, Iowa; his first child: Howard; his brothers- and sisters-in-law: Leonard Dixon of Chowchilla, California, Leo and Regina Murphy of Jefferson, Iowa, Richard “Dick” and Mable Murphy of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Helen Eason of Scranton; and a step-granddaughter: Jamie Lingren of Denison, Iowa.