CORDES, Kenneth R. 1935-2003

CORDES, LUPKES, KRULL

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 5/29/2012 at 14:15:56

Kenneth R. Cordes, 67, of Wellsburg died at his home Saturday, June 21, while under the care of Cedar Valley Hospice. Funeral services were Tuesday, June 24, at St. Paul Lutheran church in Eldora with Pastor Bruce Zimmerman of St. John Lutheran Church in Wellsburg officiating. Burial followed at Shiloh Cemetery in Wellsburg with full military honors by Wellsburg AMVETS Post #92 and American Legion Post #213.

He was born December 8, 1935, in rural Dike, son of John and Riekstena (Lupkes) Cordes. He graduated from Dike High School in 1953 and then attended the University of Northern Iowa for a year. He volunteered for the US Army serving from 1955-1957. He was united in marriage on September 20, 1957 to Glenda Faye Krull at the Bethel Lutheran Church in Parkersburg. They made their home in Wellsburg for a short time before moving to Marshalltown where Kenneth worked for Air Conditioning International for five years before returning to Wellsburg to open Cordes Hardware Store. Kenneth owned and operated the hardware for 35 years before retiring in January 2002.

He was a member of St. John Lutheran Church in Wellsburg, serving as chairman of the church board for many years, a past president of the Marshalltown Jaycees, and a member of AMVETS Post #91 of Wellsburg. Kenneth served as mayor of Wellsburg from 1980-2001, a city councilman from 1976-1979, and as a member of the Wellsburg Community Club.

He is survived by his wife, Glenda; daughter Jodie (Steve) Gehrke of Eldora; 3 sons, Randy (Nancy) of Wellsburg, Robert (Kathy) of Carroll, and Andrew (Dedra) of Cedar Rapids; a brother, Vern (Mary) of Dike; 8 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

--The Grundy Register/Wellsburg Herald (Grundy Center, Iowa), 26 June 2003, pg 9