FOLKERTS, Melvin Dale 1929-2014
FOLKERTS, HURD, CHRISTIANSEN
Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 4/7/2014 at 12:24:21
Melvin Dale Folkerts
(Died April 6, 2014)
U.S. Veteran
Melvin Dale Folkerts, age 84, of Rudd, died Sunday, April 6, 2014, at his home.
Memorial services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Friday, April 11, 2014, at the Rock Creek Lutheran Church in Rural Osage with Pastor David A. Werges and Diaconal Minister Elayne J. Werges officiating. There will be a gathering of family and friends from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Thursday at the Champion-Bucheit Funeral Home in Osage. Inurnment will be at a later date in the Evergreen Cemetery at Rudd with military honors at the grave by the Osage American Legion Post 278.
Melvin Dale Folkerts was born on April 11, 1929, in Bristow, Iowa, the son of Edward and Elsie (Hurd) Folkerts. He graduated from Rudd High School in 1947, continuing his education at the University of Northern Iowa. Dale served in the U.S. Army at San Pedro, California, during the Korean Conflict. He married Nancy Christiansen on September 8, 1951, at Rock Creek Lutheran Church in rural Osage, Iowa. To this union, four children were born.
Dale and Nancy returned to Iowa in 1954 where they partnered in farming north of Rudd until their retirement. He was an active member at Rock Creek Lutheran where he was president of both the congregation and the RCCM, served as a deacon, and sang in the choir. He also was active in the community as chairman of the Rudd Co-op Board and the Rudd Cemetery. Dale enjoyed bowling and was an amateur radio operator, holding a general class license.
Dale earned his private pilot’s license in 1967 and his instrument rating in 1979. He accumulated 2,783 hours of flight time and shared his love of flying by participating in over 200 flights with the Young Eagles Program. Active in the Experimental Aircraft Association Clayton Folkerts Chapter 94, he and Nancy enjoyed flying their Mooney all over the country visiting family and friends.
Dale is survived by his wife Nancy; his children Bill (Shari) Folkerts of Clive, Iowa, Susan Stoessel of Papillion, Nebraska, Thomas (Karen) Folkerts of Roseville, California, and Karen (Chris) Seberg of New Brighton, Minnesota; grandchildren Kyle, Corey, and Dan Folkerts, Melissa (Zach) Knutson, Mark Ehlers, Neil (Kate), Kellie, and Josie Stoessel, Nichelle (Travis) Renk, Jake (Kim) and Clay Folkerts, and Hannah and Molly Seberg; great-grandchildren Cassidy Hill, Eve, Brenlyn, and Emmeline Knutson, and Charlotte Renk; sisters Evelyn (Jim) Nelsen of Cincinnati, Ohio, and Sharon Parriott of Spirit Lake, Iowa; sisters-in-law, Barbara (Charles Connell) Christiansen of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Dorothy (Francis) Schmidt, Osage, Iowa, and Helen Randolph of Dallas, Texas.
Dale was preceded in death by his parents; brother Dean Folkerts; father and mother-in-law, Carl and Myrtle Christiansen; brothers-in-law, Paul Christiansen and George Christiansen.
In lieu of flowers, memorials preferred to Hospice of North Iowa or Dale Folkerts Memorial Fund.
Champion – Bucheit Funeral Home, Osage (641)732-3706.
Source: Champion–Bucheit Funeral Home website
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His amateur radio information:Folkerts, Melvin D -- KAŘELE
1767 150th St
Rudd, IA 50471
License Class: General
Radio Service: HA
Issue Date: 03/21/2005
Expire Date: 06/19/2015
Floyd Obituaries maintained by LaVern Velau.
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