BERNARD W. MONSON

Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m., Monday, June 17, 2019, at United Methodist Church, Gowrie with Pastor Jim Davis officiating. Burial will be in Gowrie Township Cemetery. Visitation will be after 4:00 p.m. Sunday, June 16, 2019, at Palmer Funeral Home, Gowrie.

Bernard is survived by his two daughters, Monica (Greg) Yoder of Middlebury, IN and Sibyl (Vance) Bauer of Gowrie; sister, Nancy Owen of Cedar Rapids; niece, Sue (Mark) Owen-Anton of Mt. Vernon; nephew, Todd Owen of Denver, CO; great niece and great nephew, Faith and Blaise Anton; other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Clyde and Irene (Stanek) Monson; wife, Karen (Sellstrom) Monson; brother-in-law, Don Owen; and great nephew, Joseph Anton.

Bernard Wayne Monson was born June 15, 1929. He attended country school and graduated from Gowrie High School in 1947. At age 16, Bernard became a full partner in the family dairy operation, Meadow View Farm and began his lifetime love and devotion to Brown Swiss cows and the dairy industry. He attended one year of college at Iowa State College and then served in the ARMY for the following two years. On August 2, 1958, he was united in marriage to Karen Sellstrom. The couple built their home on the family dairy farm in Gowrie where they raised their two daughters. Bernard spent his life dairy farming and in service to promoting the dairy industry and the Brown Swiss breed. He served on numerous state and national dairy and agriculture committees over the years and was elected president of the National Brown Swiss Cattle Breeders’ Association from 1974 – 1979. He became a well-known and respected international dairy cattle judge. During these years he traveled all over the United States, Europe, South and Central America, and Africa judging shows and being an ambassador for Brown Swiss. He held a position with the National Brown Swiss association as an area representative and herd classifier for 18 years. Even in his retirement, his devotion to Brown Swiss cattle continued. In 2006, he was part of a committee selected to gather information to establish the National Brown Swiss Historical Society, of which he served as the first president.

Memorials may be left to family discretion.