Ward Richard ABBOTT

ABBOTT, SIMMONS, SCOTT, DODD, NEUENDORF, POYNER, FOSSUM, BLACK, GATES, DUNDEE, CARSTEDT

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 1/12/2010 at 01:13:57

Ward Richard Abbott, 97, of rural Decorah, Iowa died Sunday, December 17, 2006 at the home of his daughter of rural Mabel. He was born April 30, 1909, in Black Hawk County, son of Perry Ward and Grace Violet (Simmons) Abbott. He married Helen Lucretia Scott on August 21, 1930, at her grandfather Franklin E. Dodd's home in rural Popejoy, Iowa. She preceded him in death on February 24, 1997. Ward and Helen lived and farmed in Benton, Black Hawk and Tama counties in Iowa before locating to the Decorah area in 1956, and farming there. Ward was a faithful member of Calvary Evangelical Free Church in Spring Grove and taught adult Sunday school for many years. He was also on the Winneshiek County Board of Education in the early 1960's.

He is survived by: ten sons, Dean (Alice) of Ridgeway; Loren (Barb) of Zimmerman, MN,: Ron (Judy) of Tucson, AZ; Wendell (Shirley) of Tulsa, OK: Ralph (Karolynn) and Tim (Shirley) both of Decorah; Paul (Betty) of Jenks, OK; Robert (Cheryl) of Morris, OK; Doug (Rhonda) of Rochester, MN; Tom (Kim) of Ankeny, IA: and four daughters, Barbara Neuendorf of La Porte City, IA; Coleen (Craig) Poyner of Jesup, IA; Beth (Roger) Fossum of Mabel, MN; and Joyce (Bob) Black of Tucson, AZ and foster son and daughter Terry Gates and Katie (Milo) Dundee of Elkader, IA; 58 grandchildren; 92 great-grandchildren; 11 great-great-grandchildren; a brother, Lester E. Abbott of Anamosa; a sister, Zorah M. Carstedt of Prairie Lea, TX. He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife; two sisters, one in infancy and Edith C. Abbott; three brothers, Glenn, Perry, and Loren; two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held Saturday Dec. 23, 2006 at 11 a.m. at Calvary Evangelical Free Church in Spring Grove. Graveside services will precede the funeral at 10:30 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran Cemetery in Spring Grove. Pastor Michael D. McCaan will officiate. Friends may call Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. at Calvary Evangelical Free Church Sanctuary in Spring Grove. Roble Funeral Service is in charge of arrangements.

Caledonia Argus, Caledonia, MN
December 19, 2006