Avis Leona Finnie (1904-2009)
FINNIE, JOHNSON
Posted By: Ames Tribune
Date: 6/17/2009 at 08:16:40
THE AMES TRIBUNE, Ames, Story County, Iowa, Tuesday, June 16, 2009.
Avis Leona Finnie, 105, of Colonial Manor in Zearing and formerly of Des Moines, died Monday, June 15, 2009, at Colonial Manor. Funeral services are pending with Fredregill Funeral Home in Zearing.
THE AMES TRIBUNE, Ames, Story County, Iowa, Wednesday, June 17, 2009.
Avis Leona Finnie, 105, of Colonial Manor in Zearing, passed away Monday, June 15, 2009. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 20, at Bethany Lutheran Church in McCallsburg. Visitation will be two hours prior to services at the church. Burial will be in McCallsburg Cemetery.
Avis Leona Johnson was born on April 23, 1904, in McCallsburg. She dedicated her life to church, family and helping others.
She graduated from McCallsburg High School in 1924, where she played basketball, sang in the choir and played violin in school plays and various music events, including a seven-piece dance band.
After high school, shes attended Kennedy’s School of Beauty Culture in Des Moines. Upon completion, she was asked to become a teacher and remained to teach for three more years.
In 1928, she married Wade Finnie, a barber. Together, they worked for many years in beauty and barber shops around central Iowa.
When World War II came along, Avis and Wade took jobs at the ordnance plant in Ankeny making bullets. From there, they traveled across America and worked in other war material facilities.
Following the war, Avis and Wade returned to Des Moines where she trained as a key punch operator, and worked at Employers Mutual Insurance Company where she stayed until she retired in 1969.
When Wade passed away in 1967, Avis and her cousin, Fern, shared an apartment for the next 20 years. When the apartment building was sold, the cousins both relocated, and Avis stayed close to her family and friends in apartments in Des Moines. In 1996, she moved to Colonial Manor in Zearing, where she lived for her remaining years. She appreciated the loving care and made many friends at the manor. She always participated in the many activities at the manor and recently celebrated her 105th birthday there by releasing 105 balloons.
She loved animals, cats in particular. She also would visit sick relatives and friends to whom she provided encouragement to get better and a gentle caring hand. She was an inspiration to everyone who knew her and will be missed and remembered by all of us.
She had no children but leaves behind many nieces, nephews and cousins.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Wade; her parents, Lewis and Anna Johnson; and five brothers, Al, Ed, Lawrence, Mick and Carroll.
Fredregill Funeral Home in Zearing is in charge of arrangements.
THE AMES TRIBUNE, Ames, Story County, Iowa, Friday, June 19, 2009.
The funeral for Avis Finnie has been relocated to Fredregill Funeral Home in Zearing. The funeral time and date remains at 11 a.m., Saturday, June 20, with visitation two hours prior to the service.
http://www.amestrib.com/
Story Obituaries maintained by Mark Christian.
WebBBS 4.33 Genealogy Modification Package by WebJourneymen