August Krans Obituary

OBITUARY Iron River Reporter Sep 14 1943 "Funeral Rites 
For August Krans Held From Home"

Funeral services were held from the farm home yesterday 
afternoon for August Krans, 85, one of the first settlers 
in Bates township, who died at the Stambaugh General 
hospital Friday evening after an illness of several months.
Rev. Carl I. Fant of the First Lutheran church, Iron 
River, officiated and burial was in the family lot at the 
Bates cemetery. Musical numbers at the service included a 
vocal solo, "God's Tomorrow" by Clarence McCelland, Bates, 
and a duet by Elder and Mrs. W.C. Harkins. Mrs. Jennie 
Hanson also sang Mr. Krans' favorite Swedish hymn, 
requested by him before his death.

He was born in Skaraborg, Sweden on June 1, 1858 and came 
to the United States in 1880 when he was a young man. He 
first settled in Norway, Mich., where he was employed in 
the iron mines. He was joined by his wife, the former Miss 
Sofia Johnson, who had remained in Sweden, in 1881.
Together they moved to Bates township the next year and 
established their farm home. Mrs. Krans preceded her 
husband in death in 1935.

They are the parents of 13 children, 11 living; seven sons 
and four daughters. Thirty-nine grandchildren and 17 
great-grandchildren also survive. The sons are Emil, Aden, 
Mannie, Arvid and Hilbert of Iron River, Enoch of 
Wakefield and Conrad of Crosby, Minn., and the daughters 
are Mrs. Charles A. Johnson, Mrs. Ebba C. Anderson, Mrs. 
Albert Erickson and Mrs. Larry Hartley, all of Iron River.
Krans is a former member of the Bates township board of 
education, serving for many years prior to his retirement 
ten years ago. He was a member of the First Lutheran church.
Pallbearers were his six sons, Emil, Aden, Mannie, Arvid, 
Hilbert and Conrad.