Abel, Olive G. 1911-1999

ABEL, HAYES, GRAHAM, WAGNER, KLEISS, HARTSHORN, BURNELL, LANG, BOLEN

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes (email)
Date: 6/9/2011 at 08:20:54

The Grinnell Herald-Register; March 11, 1999

OLIVE ABEL

Olive G. Abel, 87, of Grinnell died after a short illness Tuesday, March 9, at Grinnell Regional Medical Center.

A joint funeral service for Olive and Burdette Abel, who died Feb. 18, will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday at the Grinnell Christian Church, with the Rev. John Epperson officiating. Organist will be Marlene Toney, and vocalists will be Rich and Karolyn Milliken.

Casket bearers will be her grandchildren, and burial will be in Hazelwood Cemetery.

Friends may call at the Smith Funeral Home, where the family will be present from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday.

She was the daughter of Brownlie and Dora Hayes Graham and was born Dec. 31, 1911, near Brooklyn. She graduated from Brooklyn High School in 1929. She attended Grinnell College and taught school in Madison Township.

She was married to Burdette F. Abel in 1933, and they farmed near Grinnell and in Madison Township until 1947 when they moved back to Grinnell.

Mrs. Abel was a charter member of Grinnell Christian Church, serving as clerk for many years. She was a long-time member of the Grinnell Regional Medical Center Auxiliary and the Care Review Committee at St. Francis Manor. She was also a member of the Grinnell Historical Museum Board and the Historical and Literary Book Club.

Surviving are her daughter Nancy Abel Wagner of University City, Mo.; four sons, Burdette Jr., Gordon and John, all of Grinnell and David of Mankato, Minn.; one sister, Frances Kleiss of Brooklyn; 14 grandchildren; and 13 great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband; four sisters, Jeanetta Hartshorn, Sarah Burnell, Agnes Lang and Carrie Bolen; and two brothers, Paul and Archie Graham.

Memorials may be made to the Grinnell Historical Museum.