CROOKS, Alfrieda Johanna Henrietta (Pagel) 1914-2015

CROOKS, PAGEL, CROTH, BORKENHAGEN, TREICHEL

Posted By: County Coordinator (kermit)
Date: 11/23/2015 at 23:45:07

Alfrieda Johanna Henrietta Pagel Crooks was born November 9, 1914 in her parent’s farm home near St. Ansgar, Iowa, the daughter of Henry and Ida Groth Pagel. She was baptized December 14, 1914, with her maternal grandmother, Hannah (Treichel) Groth, and her paternal grandparents, Fred (Johann) and Johanna (Borkenhagen) Groth as her godparents. She passed from this life at the age of 101 on November 9, 2015.

She grew up helping with farm chores. In those days, farmers raised corn, oats, flax, and of course hay. They also raised cattle, pigs, chickens, and geese, as well as keeping a large vegetable garden. She helped her mother with dishes and with watching her younger siblings.

From the time of her birth, she was taught about God, and learned from an early age to be a faithful Christian, being confirmed as a teenager, continuing her faith throughout her life. She enjoyed studying the bible, and studying the life of Martin Luther and his wife Katherine.

She also loved music. She spoke of a cousin who had a store in St. Ansgar who ordered a violin for her and a violin for John, so they could take lessons. She also played piano, accordion, and organ. She told about a second hand pump organ bought by her mother which she enjoyed playing. She also told of how she enjoyed her mother’s singing.

She was very involved in education with her church, volunteered at the nursing home while in her 80’s, playing piano. After her children were raised, she worked as a cook at Story County Hospital in Nevada, Iowa, and from there went to work at ISU, in Ames, Iowa, later retiring.

She met her husband, Henry Crooks when she was 22. He was a friend of her brothers, John and George.

Alfrieda and Henry married on May 11, 1938 and over the years were blessed with nine children. They were married until his death in January of 2000.

She is survived by her children Carolyn Ruth Loftaas, Glenita June Brown, Marjorie Mae Tuthill, Cynthia Anne DiMarco, Adrian Henry Crooks, Ramona Agnes (Gary) Parkin, and Randolph Bruce Crooks. She is also survived by one sister, Dorothy Pahl, and one sister-in-law, Luella Pagel, and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Henry, two children, Mary Alice Papouchis, and Rosalie Frieda Enfield, one grandchild, Lisa DiMarco, three sons-in-law, James Loftaas, Stanley Brown, Richard Tuthill, two brothers, John Pagel and his wife Rosie and George Pagel, and one sister, Elsie Rachut and her husband Art, and 5 nieces and nephews.

Henry and Alfrieda were blessed with many grandchildren, Jacqueline Cronk, Freda Jo Gross, Jay Loftaas, Loralea Hensche; David Brown, Dan Brown, Liz Brown; Brian Tuthill, Bruce Tuthill, Rebecca Lichtenberger, Kristina Schupe; Tracy DiMarco-White, Cris DiMarco, Mike Hoversten; Teresa Papouchis Cooley, Tony Papouchis; Amber Parkin, Penne Parkin, Monica Peterson-Monk, Richard Fuller II; Nicholas Enfield, and Andrew Enfield. From this there came many great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren, and great-great-great-grandchildren.

One of her many treasured memories from youth was of her mother whittling a top from a thread spool; another was shocking oats with her father; and of her and her brother John hiding from the doctor who was about to give them immunizations, because their brother George had diphtheria; and she lovingly called Dorothy and Elsie, her younger sisters, the Look Frieda Girls.

As many mothers of that time, she was kept very busy with her housekeeping, gardening, canning, sewing and patching, and loving and teaching her children.

Source: Schroeder & Sites Funeral Home