Meredith (State) AHRENS

AHRENS, CRABTREE, STATE, KAPLAN, MORSE, JUDAS, ALLISON, NAPPI, CUVELIER, PRICE, VINE

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 9/17/2006 at 18:36:05

Gazette, The (Cedar Rapids-Iowa City, IA)
April 14, 2006

Meredith A. Ahrens, 87, died Wednesday, April 12, 2006, in her home following an extended illness. Services: 10:30 a.m. Monday, Parker's Grove Baptist Church, by Pastor Richard McCarty. Burial: 2:30 p.m., Hillside Cemetery, Sheffield. Visitation: 9 a.m. to service time Monday at the church. Phillips Funeral Home, Vinton, is in charge of arrangements. Meredith was born Feb. 2, 1919, in Galt, Iowa, the daughter of Clarence and Shirley (Crabtree) State. She was united in marriage to Leland Ahrens on Feb. 14, 1942. She and Leland farmed and lived east of Sheffield, Iowa, for approximately 45 years and were members of the West Fork United Methodist Church. Meredith loved the Lord and served as Sunday school teacher, youth fellowship leader, and Vacation Bible School teacher/director. She owned and operated a grocery store in Sheffield from 1958 to 1963. She also drove a school bus for the Sheffield-Chapin School District for 13 years. After her beloved husband passed away in 1985, Meredith chose to winter in Kingsville, Texas, near son James and family and spend the summer months near daughter Eileen and families on a farm near Shellsburg, Iowa. White in Kingsville she was a member of Costal Bend Fellowship. While at Shellsburg she attended and became a member of Parker's Grove Baptist Church and was presently serving as deaconess. She was also a member of the Farm Bureau Women, Neighborly Neighbors and the Canton Homemakers. She will be greatly missed and cherished by all those who knew her. She was an exceptional mother and grandmother. Meredith is survived by her daughter, Eileen (Gerald) Kaplan of Shellsburg; her son, James (Maribeth) Ahrens of Kingsville, Texas; her stepson, Delton (Polly) Stamp of Plainfield, Ill.; her stepdaughter, Jeanne Morse of Leesburg, Fla.; 13 grandchildren, Phyllis (Eric) Judas, Brenda (Gary) Allison, Dennis Kaplan, Julie Kaplan, Jamie Ahrens, Brandon Ahrens, Bethany Ahrens, Scott (Lucia) Stamp; Steve (Lynette) Stamp, Sharon (Rich) Vine, Bob (Jan) Nappi, Kenneth (Jeanne) Nappi and Mike Jeanne) Nappi; 22 great-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren; her sister, Audrey Price of Kennewick, Wash.; and her brother, Ervin (Delores) State of Mason City, Iowa. In addition to her parents and husband, she was preceded by her sister, Gertrude Cuvelier; and her brothers, Diehl, Donald, Duane and Gaylen State.