Watkins, Elizabeth (Mrs. James) 1904-2003

WATKINS, DERR, MEYER

Posted By: Linda Ziemann, Volunteer (email)
Date: 8/7/2008 at 21:56:00

KINGSLEY, Iowa -- Elizabeth Watkins, 98, of Battle Creek, Iowa, formerly of Kingsley, died Thursday, March 13, 2003, at Willow Dale Care Center in Battle Creek.

Services will be 10:30 a.m. Monday at Rohde-Earnest Funeral Home in Kingsley, with the Rev. Paul Evans of Kingsley United Methodist Church officiating. Burial will be in Kingsley Cemetery. Visitation will be after 2 p.m. Sunday, with the family present 5 to 7 p.m., at the funeral home.

Elizabeth was born July 11, 1904, in Battle Creek, the daughter of Louis and Lena (Meyer) Derr. She attended Danbury, Iowa, and Battle Creek schools and graduated from Battle Creek High School in 1922. She attended Morningside College and returned to Battle Creek to teach rural school.

She married James Watkins of Pierson, Iowa, in 1928. They lived in Pierson for a short time before moving to Kingsley. Jim served as Kingsley's mayor for 16 years.

She was pianist and organist for many years at Methodist and Brethren churches and for Eastern Star. She was the music instructor and substitute teacher in the Kingsley schools during the war years. She was a librarian for many years at the old and new Kingsley library locations and was a P.E.O. member.

She is survived by her daughters, Rosemary Albers of Ida Grove, Iowa, and Karen and her husband, Roger Vogt of LaCrosse, Wis.; seven grandchildren, Lynn, Mitchell and Van Albers, Eric, James and Peter Vogt and Gretchen Henchen; four great-grandchildren; and her husband's half brother and sisters of the Franzenburg family.

She was preceded in death by her husband, James in 1983; her sisters, Eunice (Mrs. Clem) Osborn of Pierson, and Enid (Mrs. Fred) Schmidt; her brother, Louis Derr Jr. of Battle Creek; a son-in-law, Lamern Albers; and a grandson, Brian Albers of Ida Grove.

~Source: The Sioux City Journal, March 14, 2003