![\"shurr](\"http:\/\/blog.keloland.com\/lund\/files\/2014\/01\/shurr-obit1.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nThroughout his long life, John Shurr was proud of his Irish ancestry and loved the fact that he was born on St. Patrick\u2019s Day, March 17th<\/sup>, 1918. \u00a0He probably was also proud of being the heir apparent to Lone Tree, the farm homesteaded by his grandparents, near Ellsworth, Minnesota..although he may have been considering another career when after high school he enrolled in Mankato State College. It was there he met and fell in love with fellow student, Bernita Bell who was born on a farm near Walnut Grove, Minnesota about 60 miles Northeast of John also in 1918. They were married in 1940 and moved to a small house on the homestead where John continued working while he sorted out his future and Bernita continued a family tradition of teaching school that went back five generations. When World War II broke out, John wasn\u2019t called up because as the only son, he was needed at the farm. Then in 1943, his father died suddenly..leaving no choice about what John\u2019s lot in life would be. So, for the next 69 years he and Bernita ruled the roost that was..and is.. the Shurr family farm called \u201cLone Tree.\u201d<\/p>\n They had two sons, George and Robert, became actively involved in their church and community, read profusely, and were loved and admired by family and friends.<\/p>\n When tough decisions had to be made about moving into assisted living..then to an Ellsworth nursing home, John and Bernita accepted it gracefully as long as they could be together.<\/p>\n Dying a week apart, then, wasn\u2019t all that unusual.<\/p>\n Still, I thought, there might be something more to their story so I took a chance this past week and gave the Shurr\u2019s son, George a call and discovered that yes, of course, there\u2019s always more.<\/p>\n By all accounts, John Shurr did well in his 91 years at Lone Tree. He was a good farmer who worked hard and played hard too..especially baseball and softball in his younger days. George says his dad was a quiet, friendly and humble man who loved studying and talking about history, philosophy, religion and, of course sports..especially his beloved Minnesota \u00a0Twins and Vikings.<\/p>\n That’s John and Bernita Shurr on the right at the wedding of their son, George to his wife Margaret in 1965<\/p><\/div>\n \u201cMom, on the other hand, was one of the first \u2018women\u2019s libbers\u2019.\u00a0 She was one of the first to take up the cause of fairness for Native Americans. Her intellectual curiosity was insatiable.\u201d George said. \u201cShe was always reading up and taking a stand on various social issues including opposition to the Vietnam War when U.S. involvement began growing during the Johnson administration.\u201d<\/p>\n John and Bernita had personal reasons for concern. Their \u00a0son, Robert was high on the draft list so he chose to enlist in the U.S. Army. That was in 1969.<\/p>\n On April 13th<\/sup>\u00a0 1970, Specialist 6 Robert J. Shurr was killed instantly by an enemy grenade in Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam.\u00a0 He was 24.<\/p>\n<\/a>