ABELS, Lena 1897-1959

ABELS, SMIT

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 9/22/2013 at 16:50:55

Mrs. Lena Abels Dies In Hospital

Mrs. Lena Abels died at 12:30 Thursday in the Allen Memorial hospital in Waterloo, where she was a patient for 10 days. For a week previous she was a patient in the Grundy hospital. Death was due to Hodgkins disease. The body was brought to the Engelkes funeral home in Grundy Center where funeral arrangements were made. She was 62 years old.

Funeral services were at two o'clock Monday afternoon at Bethany Presbyterian Church in Grundy Center. The services were conducted by Pastor Wayne Hoffman. Burial was in the Colfax Center Presbyterian church cemetery.

Pallbearers were six nephews: Alvin Smit, Bernard Engelkes, C. E. Engelkes, Carl Rhoads, John and Claus Janssen.

Mrs. Abels was a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John R. Smit. She was born Oct. 2, 1897, in Colfax township and she grew up there.

February 20, 1924, Lena Smit and Fred Abels were married. They resided on farms in Beaver and Lincoln townships until Mr. Abels died April 26, 1935. After his death, Mrs. Abels and the children moved to Grundy Center.

Surviving are three children: Doris, who is a student at Iowa State University; Virgil, Grundy Center; and Ruth, Mrs. Charles Ware, Grundy Center. There are six grandchildren.

Other surviving relatives are four sisters, Christena Smit, Mrs. Clara Engelkes, Nettie Smit, and Mrs. Henry Henricks, all from Grundy Center; and one brother, Henry J. Smit, Holland.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, two sisters in infancy, and one sister, Mrs. John S. Dirks.

--newspaper clipping, source unknown