WARREN, Kenneth Dale 1921-2004

WARREN, QUAKENBUSH, FISCHER

Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 2/16/2009 at 09:02:35

MASON CITY, IOWA — Kenneth “Dale” Warren, 82, of Mason City, died Saturday (Jan. 31, 2004) at his residence.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1309 South Kentucky Avenue, Mason City. Interment will be in Elmwood Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the family.

Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. today at the Major Erickson Funeral Home, 111 North Pennsylvania Avenue.

“I saw a great white throne and Him that sat on it, from whose face earth and Heavens fled away; and there was found no place for them and I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God and the books were opened and another book was open which is the book of life; and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books to their works.” — Revelations 20:11-12

The first chapter of God’s book for Kenneth Dale Warren was when he was born into the home of Kenneth I. and Merle (Quakenbush) Warren on Dec. 9, 1921, in Spring Valley, Minn.

Year after year he filled the pages and chapters until the end.

In early childhood the family moved to Nashua, Iowa. Years were spent in the home of his parents where he enjoyed the fellowship of his three brothers, Ivan, Loren and Lewis and a sister, Jessie. Dale attended the Nashua Schools and enjoyed being in the Boy Scouts.

When but a young man he had several businesses. Dale had the first motorized lawn mowing business in town along with a chicken farm.

In 1939, Kenneth and his brothers enlisted as members of the Civilian Conservation Corps in Decorah.

In 1942, when he followed his Aunt Jessie to Portland, Ore., where he worked at a local hospital. Kenneth moved back to Charles City and worked at the hospital as a nurse’s aide. This is where Kenneth first talked to Audrey Joan Fischer. They were married June 11, 1950, in Charles City.

As the chapters were adding to his life, so were his responsibilities. Born to Audrey and Kenneth were Betsy (Robert Hernandez), Larry (Laurie Werner), Frances (Milt Blakewell), and Annabelle (Gordon Vajgert).

During those years, Kenneth work as a nurse’s aide at the Chautauqua Nursing Home in Charles City and worked at Decker’s in Mason City.

His retirement from Decker’s in 1974 lead him to the CEO position with Clean and Green, Inc., and custodian at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints of Mason City.

The pages were full of words that describe a humble boy growing into manhood where Kenneth develops a love for God that kept these words on the page so wonderful.

You will find the marriage Temple Sealing Certificate that occurred on the sixteenth day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and seventy five at the Salt Lake Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah.

At the age of 70, Kenneth decided it was time to learn to read. He had helped finance college education for three children and two grandchildren, it was his turn to return to the classroom that he had left at the age of nine. It paid off. Kenneth was recognized during a ceremony in Washington, D.C., on June 22, 1992. His teacher said she never met a person who wanted to learn and had the determination that Kenneth had. He said every day that the experience felt “wonderful”.

Kenneth’s pages and pages of life are filled with everyday words but the most spoken word would become “wonderful.”

Kenneth spent many happy days during the past four years at the Salvation Army Adult Day Care Center here in Mason City.

Kenneth was tenderly cared for by his faithful family until the final words were written on Jan. 31, 2004. The book was closed and passed into the hands of God, to be opened on that day of the greatest of days.

He is survived by his wife, Audrey Joan (Fischer) Warren, of Mason City; three daughters, Betsy, Frances and Annabelle, all of Mason City; and son, Larry, of Forest City; fourteen grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; three brothers; one sister; and two infant sons.

Major Erickson Funeral Home, (641) 423-0924.

[Globe Gazette]