Under the Water Tower Lovilia News

Geraldine, age 87, died Jan. 24th at the Monroe Care Center in Albia.

She was born July 28, 1929 in Weller, Iowa to William Martin and Mary Ann (Bingaman) Flahive.  She was a Lovilia High School graduate with the class of 1947.   On October 2, 1948 Geraldine married Paul Robert Grimes at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Lovilia. They were blessed with four children:  Darlene, Jeff, Beverly, and Mark.  They shared 52 years of marriage before his death in 2001.

Geraldine was a homemaker and store clerk.  She was a member of St.Peter’s Church and the Altar and Rosary Society there.  Pastimes she enjoyed were dancing, card playing, crocheting, gardening, and watching Hawkeye basketball.  She was well known as an excellent cook.

She is survived by her children:  Jeffrey (Mary) Grimes of Lovilia; Beverly (Scott) Selby of Colorado Springs; and Mark (Sally) Grimes of Marysville, Iowa.  There are also 9 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren.  Also surviving are five sisters and one brother:  Mary Theresa Grimes of Albia; Marjoire (Edward) Martin of Cave Creek, AZ; Florence (Donald) Welch of Winterset, IA; Catherine (Jack) Thomas of San Marcos, CA; Delores Littlejohn of West Des Moines; and Jim (Diane) Flahive of Albia.

Preceding in death were her husband; daughter ,Darlene; parents; brothers: Edward, William, John; and sisters:  Madeline, Jo Ann, and Bernice.

A mass of Christian burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, January 27, 2017 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Albia, with Father Michael E. Volkmer and Father Mark Yates officiating.  Burial will follow services at St. Mary’s Cemetery in albia

Visitation will be held from 3 p.m.-8 p.m. Thursday, January 26, 2017 at the Tharp Funeral Home in Albia. Her family will be present from 4-8 p.m.  A rosary will be led by St. Mary’s Altar and Rosary Society at 4 pm. and a wake service will be held at 6 p.m.

Memorials may be designated to either Monroe Care Center in Albia or to the Alzheimer’s Association.

May she rest in peace.

Jack, age 70, died Jan. 5, 2017.  He raised livestock and farmed in the Melrose area.  His sisters are:  Sandra Wade of Lovilia, Crystal Stansberry of Oskaloosa, Arlene Riesser of Walcott, and Tamie Watson of Albia .  He also has one brother of Melrose, James Wade.  Also surviving are several nieces and nephews.

Celebration of his Live will be 11:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. on January 16, Monday at the Lovilia Community Building with his family present.  As per his wishes the body was cremated and a private family burial will be at a later date.  A memorial has been established to the family.

May he rest in peace.

Dayton Kendall Died January 7, 2017

Services are pending at Tharp’s Funeral Home of Albia.  Many will remember him as the owner and manager of the Albia Gambles Store for several years with his wife Linda.  He also played in the country western band called Larry Johnson and the Roadrunners in the local area for 30 years or more.  He and Linda have many relatives and friends in the Lovilia area.

Alice “Coleen” Lenger Died January 8, 2017

She was Born Sept. 12, 1939 to Orland and Alice (Howard ) Sterner in Mahaska Country.  She graduated from Bussey High School with the class of 1957.  On June 20, 1959 she was married to Dan Lenger at St. Peter’s Church in Lovilia, Iowa.  They were blessed with six children:  Timmy, Denise, Ann, Mary, Danny and Jim.  Coleen and Dan shared 52 years of marriage until his death in 2011.

She was a farm wife and she worked 28 years for Mahaska Bottling Company in Oskaloosa.  Coleen was an active member of St. Peter’s Church and Altar and Rosary Society.  She considered the church ladies as dear friends and she also enjoyed gardening, sewing, cooking, traveling with Dan, and family time.

Coleen is survived by her children:  Denise Fisher of Lovilia, Ann McCloud of Albia, Mary (Pat) Wynn of Albia, Danny Lenger of Newton, and Jim Lenger of Anamosa, Iowa.  She also has many grandchildren and great grandchildren. Also her sister Karen and her brother, John.

She is preceded in death by her parents, husband, infant son Timmy and a sister, Linda.

Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 a.m., Thursday, January 12, 2017 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Albia.  Father Mark Yates and Father Michael Volkmer will officiate.  Burial will follow at St. Mary’s Cemetery, Albia.

Visitation will be Wednesday, January 11, 2017 at Tharp Funeral Home in Albia with family present from 3-8 p.m.  At 4 p.m. a rosary will be led by St. Mary’s Altar and Rosary Society.

Memorials have been established to HCI Hospice, St. Mary’s Cemetery, or St. Peter’s Altar and Rosary Society.

May she rest in peace.

Barbara Gillette  of Ames Dies

She was born in Lovilia on May 9, 1928 to Robert and Catherine (Carr) Ross. Her parents moved to Milwaukee, Wis. where she attended school and graduated from the Mercy High School in the 1946 class.

She worked as a medical technician at Marquette Univ. in Milwaukee and then at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana.  Barbara met her husband at Purdue and they were married in West Lafayette. They later moved to Ames, Iowa.  She was an active volunteer in her community and her church, St. Cecilia Catholic Church, in Ames.

She was preceded in death by her parents; sister, Mary Pat;sister, Bridget; brother, Daniel; and brother, Tim.

Barbara died Dec. 1, 2016 in Ames and burial was in Ames Municipal Cemetery.  May she rest in peace.  For those who may not know, her mother Catherine along with Eleanora Sofranko wrote the Lovilia History Book and the St. Peter’s Catholic Church history book.