Bird, Arlene C. 1929-2005

BIRD, SEUNTJENS, STRECK

Posted By: Linda Ziemann, Volunteer (email)
Date: 4/14/2007 at 11:42:22

MARCUS, Iowa -- Arlene C. Bird, 75, of Marcus died Tuesday, May 10, 2005, at her residence.

Services will be 10:30 a.m. Friday at Holy Name Catholic Church in Marcus, with the Rev. Eugene Murray officiating. Burial will be in Holy Name Catholic Cemetery. Visitation will be after 2 p.m. today, with the family present 5 to 7 p.m. and a Scripture service at 7 p.m., at the church. Arrangements are under the direction of Earnest-Rohde Funeral Home in Marcus.

Arlene was born July 16, 1929, in Danbury, Iowa, the daughter of John and Kathryn (Streck) Seuntjens. She graduated from Kingsley (Iowa) High School in 1946. She then attended Briar Cliff College in Sioux City and graduated from St. Joseph's School of Nursing in 1950.

She married Leo "Bill" Bird on Jan. 8, 1951, at St. Michael's Catholic Church in Kingsley, Iowa. The couple farmed north of Marcus, moving into Marcus in 1985. Bill passed away Feb. 21, 2004.

She was a member of Holy Name Catholic Church for more than 50 years, during which time she was very active with St. Ann's Guild and Holy Name Missionary Group, she served as a former president of both groups. She also belonged to the Marcus Women's Club, where she served as president.

Survivors include three daughters and their husbands, Kathy and Dr. Michael Belby of Belvidere, N.J., Jane and Joe Handlos of Milford, Kan., and Mary Bird-Murphy and John Murphy of Oak Park, Ill.; five sons and their wives, Tom and Catherine Bird of Minneapolis, Jeff and Elizabeth Bird of St. Louis Park, Minn., Joe and Arlene Bird of Highland Ranch, Colo., Dr. Michael and Patty Bird of Gilbert, Iowa, and Patrick and Linda Bird of Marcus; 23 grandchildren; three brothers and their wives, Robert and Doris Seuntjens of Kingsley, Iowa, James and Carol Seuntjens of Ocala, Fla., and Tom and Alice Seuntjens of Wayzata, Minn.; a sister and her husband, Dorothy and Tom O'Keefe of Kingsley, Iowa; and a sister-in-law, Alice Seuntjens of Kingsley.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Bill; a granddaughter, Leah Bird; and a brother, Michael "Mick" Seuntjens.

[Part of the Darrell Easton Obituary Collection; source:Sioux City Journal]