Laurola Viola (Walker) Gibson (2020)

BARRETT, BOYD, GIBSON, HEWLETT, MILLER, SICKELS, SILK, WALKER, WILSON

Posted By: Pat Hochstetler
Date: 11/8/2023 at 18:04:40

Des Moines Register
Des Moines, Iowa
April 19, 2020

formerly of Indianola - Laura Viola Walker was born March 24, 1922, in Adair County, Iowa, to Mamie Bell (Wilson) Walker and Robert Lester Walker of Macksburg and lived with them and one sister, Roberta Jean (Walker) Miller on a farm. A brother, Robert, died in infancy.

She attended Zion Consolidated School and graduated from Simpson College in 1943. Laura changed her name as a young adult to Laurola Alice.

After working one year at Simpson as an assistant teacher in the biology laboratory, she worked in an assembly line for Douglas Aircraft in Des Plaines, Illinois. In 1944, she returned to Iowa to work as a clerk at the War Manpower Commission in Creston where she met Dale Leroy Gibson while he was home on leave from the U.S. Navy in 1945.

Dale mustered out of the navy in 1946 and they married in 1947. Dale graduated from Simpson College in January 1950 and was a coach and teacher of woodworking until 1960 when he became a Corrective Therapist at the VA hospital in Knoxville. Dale retired from the position in 1985 and they continued to live in Indianola. He lived several years with Alzheimer's Disease and died on October 6, 1998.

To this union were born three children, Mark Edward (Mary) of Osceola, Kayla Jean (Silk) Boyd (deceased) (Russ) of Westminster, Colorado and Alan Dale (Pat) of Cadyville, New York.

Laurola began employment with the U.S. government in 1960 as a clerk typist for the Armed Forces Examining & Entrance Station (AFEES) at Fort Des Moines (later named Military Enlistment Processing Station (MEPS). She retired as Administrative Supervisor in December 1984. In 1987, she began work as clerk/receptionist at the Indianola police department and retired from there in 2005. From that time, she continued working as a driver for various neighbors who were without other transportation for appointments, volunteered monthly in the community Red Cross blood drive and in various capacities at the First United Methodist Church of Indianola.

She was a National Active and Retired Federal Employees (NARFE) member for 33 years until the Indianola chapter was disbanded and served as secretary treasurer and treasurer as well as chairperson of the NARFE Alzheimer's chapter of the local NARFE affiliation. She was also active in American Business Women's Association (ABWA) and traveled extensively as a member and officer.

She and Dale purchased a Cessna 172 in 1980 and she learned to pilot it although she did not acquire her pilot's license as Dale did. Laurola and Dale enjoyed attending several fly-ins with other pilots across the state. They also traveled extensively across the United States and the British Isles in their retirement years usually by driving their own vehicle. They were avid Iowa Hawkeye fans and followed the Hawks to Hawaii when they were in the playoffs there. She enjoyed gardening and loved reading all sorts of SciFi and mystery novels. Laurola loved nature and animals and acquired knowledge of many aspects of the natural world around her including ability to imitate several bird calls. There was almost always a dog or cat in her life and she faithfully fed several squirrels at her deck. At least one of those little creatures would take a peanut from someone's hand if that person used a little patience in waiting.

She greatly enjoyed her three grandchildren Jeffrey Wayne Gibson, Devon Silk (Lauren) and Megan (Gibson) Barrett (Jon). She was also proud of three step grandchildren, David Lee Hewlett (Katie), Gina Michele (Hewlett) Sickels (Aaron) and Kirk Eugene Hewlett (Kim). She dearly loved her twelve great grandchildren. She was a warm and caring lady and will be missed by her family and many, many friends although we are grateful that she will no longer suffer the pains she experienced in this world.

Due to state and federal guidance on gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the family will not be having a public memorial at this time.

Interment will be in the I.O.O.F. Cemetery in Indianola Memorial contributions may be directed to the Indianola First United Methodist Church Online condolences may be directed to the family at kalefuneralhome.com

Madison Obituaries maintained by Linda Griffith Smith.
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