DIRKS, Ella 1896-1982

DIRKS, FONKEN, ABELS

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 7/9/2014 at 07:56:00

Services Held Monday For Mrs. Ella Dirks

Mrs. Ella F. Dirks, age 85, of Grundy Center, passed away at 5:16 p.m. Friday, August 13, 1982 at North Iowa Medical Center in Mason City, IA. She had been a patient there since August 6.

Funeral services were held Monday, August 16, 1982 at 1:30 p.m. at First United Presbyterian Church with Rev. Thomas P. Harp officiating.

Robert Kruse sang "In The Garden" and "The Old Rugged Cross." He was accompanied by Mrs. T. J. Heronimus, who also played selected numbers for the prelude and postlude.

Casket bearers were Scott Dirks, Dean Conrad, John W. Conrad III, Donald Van Lengen, Ryan Van Lengen and Jeff Heronimus. Floyd Rouse and Paul Slinker served as ushers. Mrs. Jake Beenken and Margaret Schmidt were in charge of floral arrangements.

Burial was in the Colfax Center Cemetery, rural Holland. Relatives and friends were invited to return to the church following committal services for a period of Christian fellowship and refreshment.

Mrs. Dirks was born on October 22, 1896 in Forreston, IL, the daughter of John and Mattie Abels Fonken. She grew up in Grundy Center and graduated from Grundy Center high school in 1916. She attended Iowa State Teachers College. She taught rural school in Pleasant Valley Township for two years.

On August 5, 1918 she was united in marriage to Cornelius H. Dirks. After their marriage they lived on a farm in Colfax Township for several years before moving to Grundy Center in 1926. They ran a grocery store in Grundy Center. Her husband passed away on July 24, 1931.

She was a member of the First United Presbyterian Church, Federated Women's Club and Art Club.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, one daughter, Marian Dirks Anderson on December 6, 1947 and one brother.

She is survived by one son, Floyd Dirks of East Dundee, IL; one daughter, Mrs. William (Loana) Conrad of Conrad; one brother, Walter Fonken of Grundy Center; one granddaughter, three grandsons, four great-grandchildren and five nieces and nephews.

A memorial fund has been established. The Engelkes-Abels Funeral Home, Grundy Center, was in charge of arrangements.

--The Grundy Register (Grundy Center, Iowa), 19 August 1982, pg 3