Katherine (Yakel) PALS

PALS, YAKEL, BECKER, SCHMIDT, RUITER, SHERIFF, RONSEN, JESSEN

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 9/27/2008 at 11:33:34

Mason City Globe Gazette
January 10, 1997

Katherine Pals, 88, of Meservey, died Wednesday (Jan. 8, 1997) at the Belmond Care Center. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Salem United Methodist Church, Meservey, with the Rev. Jim Gochenouer officiating. Burial will be in the Meservey Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. today at the Grarup Funeral Home, Meservey.

Katherine "Katie" Pals, daughter of Chris and Marie (Becker) Yakel, was born on Feb. 6, 1908, in a German settlement in Balzar, Russia. She came to the United States as a small child and later became a citizen of the United States. She graduated from Alexander High School in 1926 and went on to attend Coe College before teaching country school. She was united in marriage on Dec. 25, 1938, to Jacob E. Pals. They operated a produce business in Meservey until they retired. Katie enjoyed walking, playing cards and doing crochet work. She was a member of the Salem United Methodist Church where she taught Sunday School for many years, the Mary Circle, Federated Womens Club, and the Senior Citizens.

She is survived by two daughters, Shirley Schmidt of Alexander, and Phyllis Ruiter and her husband, Merlin, of Meservey; four grandchildren, Linda Sheriff and her husband, Keith, of West Des Moines, Michael Schmidt of Iowa Falls, Roxanne Ronsen and her husband, Kurt, of West Minster, Colo., Ritch Ruiter of Meservey; four great-grandchildren, Philip, Brian, Erin and Steven Sheriff of West Des Moines; and one sister, Marie Jessen of Hampton. She was preceded in death by her husband, Jacob in September of 1984; two infant children; her parents; one sister, six brothers; and a son-in-law.