Earl Hugh McNearney, age 88, died suddenly Aug. 9, 2006, at his home in Owatonna.

Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Saturday at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Litomysl. Visitation will be 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, with a 6:30 p.m. Knights of Columbus Rosary

at Brick-Meger Funeral Home, Owatonna.

He was born March 3, 1917, at home on his family farm, son of John and Elizabeth (Fitzgerald) McNearney. His grandfather, Patrick McNearney, homesteaded the first 80 acres in Blooming Prairie Township in the early 1870’s. This farm was honored as a Century Farm in 1976, having ownership in one family for over 100 years.

He attended country school through eighth grade and then attended Owatonna High School through 10th-grade when he left school to work on the family farm with his father.

He was quoted as saying, “I milked cows for 41 years and one month in the same barn!” He truly was a pioneer farmer, farming with horses until tractors. He raised dairy cattle, corn, soybeans and alfalfa; also raised bulls for breeding and Morgan horses. He was very proud of the land and his 100% Irish heritage.

He has life membership in Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Litomysl, where he was baptized on March 7, 1917, and confirmed Oct. 6, 1930. This church and school were very important to him; he served as trustee, a school board member for many years, and boiler/maintenance person for St. Isidore Catholic School. He built the “festival shuttle” which is still used every year for the July Fall Festival. In July this year he again helped Sister Florence butter all the filled biscuits on the two baking days. He was currently one of the Rosary leaders at Holy Trinity.

On Sept. 5, 1946, he married Laurietta Miller at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Owatonna. They farmed in Blooming Prairie Township until 1993 when they moved to Owatonna. Laurietta died January 10, 2000. They had no children, however, he valued his many nieces and nephews. He truly loved his extended family, people, dogs and horses.

Earl joined Steele County Farm Bureau in 1947 where he served as president and insurance agent for many years. He was Director of Farm and Home Administration for three years and was on the Steele County Republican committee for many years and continued to be an active supportive member.

In addition to farming, in 1975 he went to work for Guardsmark as a security guard for Jostens until 1981. In the 1990’s he actively served on the board of the Steele County Historical Society.

He joined the Knights of Columbus Blooming Prairie Council in 1949; in 1993 he transferred to the Owatonna Council. He became a member of the Msgr. Henry Speck Assembly Oct. 20, 2001, where he served in the Fourth Degree Honor Guard. He was Council 945’s Aid and Assistance Director. In May 2005 he was honored as Knight of The Month.

He also had membership in the Owatonna Elk’s Lodge, Eagles, Owatonna Art Center, Senior Place, Little Theatre and St. Joseph’s Catholic Church where he and his wife, Leola, were active as greeters and Eucharistic ministers to the home bound. He married Leola Johnson May 28, 2003, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. His hobbies and interests included collecting political buttons, commemorative beer cans, toy or miniature red tractors, and reading all farm journals, etc.

He was preceded in death by his parents: John and Elizabeth McNearney; and four brothers: Clifford McNearney, Donald McNearney, Dr. James McNearney and John McNearney.

He is survived by wife, Leola, and her children: Kathy (Dale) Sellner of Owatonna,

Gayle (Titus) Jideofor of

Minneapolis, and Thomas Johnson and fiancee Chris Puckett of Hampton, Va.; grandchildren include: Darrick, Tarah and Andrea Sellner of Owatonna, Paul and Sophia Jideofor of Minneapolis, and Lawrence &uot;Tre&uot; (Julie) Puckett, Tylor and Sam Puckett; and one great-grandson, William Puckett of Hampton, Va.

He is also survived by many nieces and nephews including: Joyce Baer and friend George Socha of Marshall, Wis., Kathy (Bill) Current of Bloomington, Jack (Carol) McNearney of Minneapolis, Dennis (Jo) McNearney of Minneapolis, Anthony &uot;Tony&uot; (Nancy) of

White Bear Lake, Clayton McNearney of Huntington, W. Va., Douglas (Pam) McNearney, Jim (Sandy) McNearney and Mary Lou (Dan) Lynch of California, and Lillie and Sharon in Texas.

In lieu of flowers, memorials would be appreciated to St. Isidore School, Litomysl, Sacred Heart Cemetery, St. Joseph’s Memorial Fund, Steele County Food Shelf, Senior Place or donor’s choice. Thank you.