Virgil Wayne KOENEN

KOENEN, ECHOFF, ECKHOFF, PALS, MARKWARDT, THOMPSON, WENZEL, STEENHARD

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 9/4/2008 at 10:27:53

Mason City Globe Gazette, Iowa
12/19/1995

Virgil Wayne Koenen, 77, of 625 Second St., Meservey, died Saturday (Dec. 16, 1995) at North Iowa Mercy Health Center East, Mason City. Funeral services will be held 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at the First Reformed Church of Meservey, with the Rev. Rodney Meester officiating. Burial will be in the Meservey Cemetery, with military rites by the William J. Schmale Post #171. Visitation will be from 2 to 8 p.m. today at the Grarup Funeral Home, Meservey.

Virgil Wayne Koenen was born on Jan. 31, 1918, on the family farm near Meservey, the son of John and Annie (Echoff) [should be Eckhoff] Koenen. He attended the Meservey Consolidated School System. After school, he helped on the family farm until entering the United States Army on Feb. 7, 1942. Virgil served in the European Theater until his discharge on Nov. 21, 1945. Upon returning home, he was united in marriage to Irene Pals on Jan. 10, 1946, in the parsonage of the First Reformed Church in Meservey. They made their home farming in the Meservey area until retiring and moving into Meservey in 1978. Virgil enjoyed doing woodcrafts, playing the guitar and his harmonica. Spending time with his grandchildren was a special highlight in his life. He was a member of the First Reformed Church of Meservey and the Meservey American Legion Post.

He is survived by his wife, Irene, of Meservey; two daughters, Patty Markwardt and her husband, Roy of Swaledale, and Pam Thompson and her husband, Mark of Clear Lake; one son, Darwin Koenen and his wife, Genelle of Garner; seven grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and two sisters, Leona Wenzel of Belmond and Phyllis Steenhard of Meservey. He was preceded in death by his parents, one brother and one sister.