Oralene Leona (Riekens) CHRISTIANS

CHRISTIANS, RIEKENS, HEETLAND, MIEDEMA

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 7/20/2010 at 11:50:58

KANAWHA, IA - Oralene Christians, 93, of Kanawha, passed away Saturday (July 17, 2010) at the Kanawha Community Home. Funeral services for Oralene Christians will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, July 21, 2010, at Wright Christian Reformed Church, south of Kanawha, with Pastor Daniel Lindley, officiating. Burial will be at the Wright Christian Reformed Church Cemetery.
Visitation for Oralene Christians will be from 4 to 6 p.m. today, Tuesday, July 20, 2010, at the Ewing Funeral Home, 118 E. Second St. in Kanawha and will continue one hour prior to services at the church.

Oralene Leona Christians, daughter of John and Sophie Riekens, passed away at the Kanawha Community Home where she had been a resident for the past two and a half years. She was born on June 25, 1917 in Wright County, Iowa. Oralene attended rural schools in Wright County and graduated from Kanawha High School. Following her graduation, she was united in marriage to Herman Christians, and together they farmed south of Kanawha for 43 years and later moved to their home in Kanawha. Together, she and Herman raised four children: Mary Lou, Jerry, Roger and Sharlene to whom they provided many lifelong lessons in how to live a purposeful life, and served as wonderful role models. Oralene was well known in the community for having baked hundreds of angel food sheet cakes over the years for anyone who had a special occasion. Oralene was a long time, active member of the Wright Christian Reformed Church near Kanawha. She served as the church organist for over 50 years, and was involved in many of the organizations of the church she so dearly loved.

Oralene is survived by her four children, Mary Lou Heetland (Virgil) of Ackley, Jerry, of Belmond, Roger (Kenna) of La Crosse, Wis., and Sharlene Miedema, of Edgerton, Minn.; 14 grandchildren; 32 great and eight great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Herman; her sister, Grace; and by one grandson, Danny Miedema. Ewing Funeral Home.

Mason City Globe Gazette - Iowa
July 20, 2010