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Earl Berntsen
EARL E. BERNTSEN
Boone
Earl E. Berntsen, 88, passed away Friday, Sept. 18, 2020, after a long battle with dementia. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Sept. 25, at Church of the Sacred Heart in Boone. Graveside service will be held at 3 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25, at Mount Calvary
Cemetery in Cedar Rapids.
Earl was born June 5, 1932, in Des Moines, to Martin and Mariam Berntsen. Within his time on earth, Earl was a soldier, a truck driver, a welder, a husband, grandfather, great-grandfather and great-great-grandfather. Earl was a fan of traditional jazz and self-taught on the clarinet and saxophone. The loves of his life were Jesus, family and jazz.
Earl is reunited with his wife, Shirley; his daughters, Belinda and Sharleen; his parents, Martin and Mariam Berntsen; and sister, Francine.
Earl is survived by his daughters, Deborah (Joe) Fritcher, Diana Berntsen, Cynthia (Uday) Poonamallee and Jennifer Berntsen; along with 14 grandchildren; 22 great-grandchildren; three great-great grandchildren; and sister, Pat (John) Miller of Marion, Iowa.
Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Schroeder-Reimers Memorial Chapel at Sixth and Marshall streets in Boone.
Online condolences may be left to Earl's family at www.schroedermemorialchapel.com. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be directed to the Alzheimer's Association.
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