Minnie (Pals) MENNENGA

MENNENGA, PALS, KUPER, WENZEL, LOCKETT, STEENBLOCK, GIFFORD, MAROS, FOURNIER, DAHL, PAXTON, VER HELST, BONJOUR, GREENWOOD, OLSON, ECKHOFF

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 12/29/2006 at 19:28:05

Minnie Mennenga, 94, Belmond, died, January 14, 2006 at the Belmond Medical Center hospice unit. Services were held Wednesday morning, January 18 at Immanuel Reformed Church, rural Belmond, with Rev. Rob Ford officiating. Burial was in the church cemetery. Minnie was born July 30, 1911 to Dick and Elizabeth (Kuper) Pals on a farm east of Belmond. She attended country school through the eighth grade. She worked as a housekeeper for other area families for a number of years. On March 5, 1936 she married Carl Mennenga at the Immanuel Reformed parsonage. They farmed east of town for 37 years and retired to Belmond in 1973. Minnie was an active member at Immanuel Reformed where she taught catechism and was a member of the ladies' guild. She was a member of the Senior Citizens and the Over 60's Club. She enjoyed sewing, crocheting, embroidery and playing cards with family and friends. She and Carl enjoyed fishing in Minnesota several times a year. Her grandchildren remember her babysitting and playing games with them, and the family will always cherish the memories of her pies and cakes.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband in 1998; daughter Betty Wenzel; an infant daughter; great granddaughter Morgan; six sisters; and five brothers. Survivors include daughters Carol (William) Lockett of Belmond and Velda (Gary) Steenblock of Kanawha; son Douglas (Diana) Mennenga of Clemmons, NC; grandchildren Kim (Jon) Gifford, Karleen (Mike) Fournier, Karmen (Josh Maros) Dahl, Kristen (Ken) Paxton, Annette (Mark) Greenwood, Dawn (Jon) Eckhoff, Lisa (Mike) Ver Helst, Kevin (Shery) Steenblock, Tammy (Bill) Freerks and Todd (Dawn) Mennenga; great grandchildren Katie Gifford, Alex Gifford, Merissa Meints, Austin Meints, Drew Dahl, Luke Paxton, Halie Greenwood, Brooke Greenwood, Grant Eckhoff, Emily Eckhoff, Jacob Ver Helst, Dalton Mennenga and Danielle Mennenga; step grandchildren Tony Bonjour, Racheal (Chad) Olson, Brandon Bonjour and Whitney Bonjour; and step great grandchildren Justin Fournier, Whitney Fournier, Garrin Bonjour, Ethan Olson, Jose Olson, Lukas Maros and Liam Maros.

January 17, 2006
©Belmond Independent 2006