Ione Lucille (Schwab) CHRISTIANCE

ECHELBERGER, VERDUYN, SCHWAB, STAEBLER, HUMMEL, SCOTT, CHRISTIANCE, BAILEY

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 2/17/2007 at 20:48:37

Ione Lucille Christiance age 90, of Klemme, Iowa, died Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2002 at the Oakwood Manor Care Center in Clear Lake. Funeral services were held Monday, March 4 at the Immanuel Reformed United Church of Christ in Klemme, Iowa. Tenold-Andrews Funeral Home of Klemme, was in charge of arrangements.

Ione was born March 22, 1911 in Sheffield, Iowa, the daughter of Dr. Frederick and Gertrude (Bailey) Schwab. She enjoyed spending time in her childhood with her father at his medical office. She attended Sheffield schools for a time, until her family moved to Clear lake, where she also attended school. Upon the early death of her mother, Ione assisted her family with the farm operation and care of her brother. Ione married Donald G. Christiance on Feb. 26, 1928 in Des Moines, Iowa. The couple would have celebrated their 74th wedding anniversary the day before she died. They moved to Woolstock following their marriage, where Mr. Christiance operated a barber shop. Later they moved to Kanawha, Clear Lake, and then to Klemme in 1934 where they had lived and been in business for 51 years. Mrs. Christiance was a lifelong homemaker and was an active partner with her husband on their farm in Clear Lake and in his barber shops in Klemme and Meservey. Ione was very active in the Immanuel Reformed United Church of Christ in Klemme in many capacities, including president of the Women's Guild at the church, funeral chairman, and in various other roles. She was also active in the Klemme Community Band Mothers Club. Ione enjoyed many trips to Perry, Iowa where she visited her Bailey relatives, and to Illinois to visit her husband's relatives. She enjoyed spending special times with her grandchildren, reading, sewing, cooking, gardening, antiques, coin collecting, and playing cards. Ione had been a resident of the Oakwood Care Center for the past year. She and her husband valued their many friendships and enjoyed their relationship with their sons-in-law Glen and Ron, who assisted them in many ways during their lives.

Those left to cherish the legacy of her life include her daughters, Phyllis Echelberger, Thornton, Iowa, and Beverly Hummel and her husband, Ron, Ankeny, Iowa; three grandchildren, Mike and his wife, Donna Echelberger, of Rockwell, Iowa, LuAnn Scott, Mason City, Iowa, and Renae Verduyn and her husband, Brian, of Des Moines, Iowa; three great-grandchildren, Todd Echelberger, Michelle Echelberger, and Alayna Verduyn. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Don, in June 2001; a brother, Frederick "Bud" Schwab, Jr.; a sister, Leona Staebler; and a son-in-law, Glen Echelberger.

March 3, 2002
Clear Lake Mirror-Reporter, IA