Franken, Delia, Mrs. Henry A., 1914-2008

FRANKEN, WIERDA, FABER, BAKKER

Posted By: Lydia Lucas - Volunteer (email)
Date: 8/25/2010 at 21:33:46

Delia (Wierda) Franken, 93, of Sioux Center died Friday, July 11, at the Royale Meadows Care Center of Sioux Center. A memorial service was Wednesday at 11 a.m. at Central Reformed Church of Sioux Center with the Rev. R. Van Rathbun officiating. Interment was in Memory Gardens Cemetery of Sioux Center.

Mrs. Franken was the daughter of Martin and Rena (Faber) Wierda. She was born September 25, 1914, at Zeeland, Michigan. Her family moved to Sioux Center in 1915. She graduated from Sioux Center High School in 1932 with a normal training teaching certificate. She earned a bachelors of arts (cum laude) at Westmar College in Le Mars and later her masters of arts in elementary education at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, South Dakota. She married Henry A. Franken on July 8, 1942, at Sioux Center. She taught for 35 years which included Sioux County rural schools and Maurice schools. She ended her career in 1980 teaching third grade at Maurice-Orange City Elementary.

She was a member of Central Reformed Church RCWM, Sioux Center Legion Auxiliary, Delta Kappa Gamma, and IRSPA. During former years she served as a Sunday school teacher, Girl Scout leader, president of the Legion Auxiliary and as a clerk for the U.S. Post Office from 1943-1950. Her hobbies were needlework, crossword puzzles, reading and various collectibles, with a special fondness for Hummel figurines and Hull pottery.

She is survived by three daughters, Mary Swartout of Sioux City, Lois Madland and her husband Brian of Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Ruth Van Buskirk and her husband Kelly of Sioux City; four grandchildren; two brothers and sisters-in-law, Reynold and Peg Wierda of Mesa, Arizona, and Marvin and Lorraine Wierda of Lincoln, Nebraska; sister and brother-in-law, Myrtle and Clarence Kiel of Orange City; sisters-in-law, Lucille Wierda of Orange City and Frieda Wierda of Sioux Center; brother-in-law, John G. A. Van Roekel of Sioux Center; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 65 years, Henry A. Franken; an infant son, Dennis Franken; four brothers, George Bakker, Lewis Wierda, Thomas Wierda and Bernard Wierda; and three sisters, Henrietta Parsonson, Jane Eva Duits and Martha Van Roekel.

Source: Sioux Center News, July 16, 2008.
The obituary includes a photo.