Gertie (Koenen) FROHLING

FROHLING, KOENEN, PALS, LEIST, SANDMAN, MEYER, SWENSON, MOSS, STORK, WHITNEY, MADSEN, LARSON, MEINDERS

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 9/15/2010 at 09:52:58

August 12, 1914 -- September 12, 2010

ROWAN, IA - Gertie Frohling, 96, of Rowan passed away Sunday (Sept. 12, 2010) at the Rehabilitation Center of Belmond. Funeral services for Gertie Frohling will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 16, at the United Church of Rowan, with Pastor Nancy Hofmeister officiating. Burial will take place in the Graceland Cemetery near Rowan. Visitation for Gertie Frohling will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. today at the Dugger Funeral Home, 111 Luick's Lane S. in Belmond, and will continue one hour prior to services on Thursday at the church.

Gertie Frohling, the daughter of Bernhard and Helen Pals Koenen, was born Aug. 12, 1914. She was educated in rural Meservey. Gertie was united in marriage to Herman Frohling on April 26, 1934. To this union four children were born, Eugene, Bonnie, Diane and Randy. They started farming north of Belmond, moving south of Meservey in 1940. Later, Gertie and Herman moved to a farm east of Rowan. They worked, lived and raised their family in the rural Rowan area until retiring from farming. Following retirement, the couple moved into Rowan. Herman passed away in 1984. Gertie continued to live in Rowan until entering the Rehabilitation Center of Belmond on Nov. 10, 2009. Gertie was a true farm wife, working in the field side by side with Herman. She milked cows and then came back to the house to make delicious meals. She was known for her bread baking skills and won first prize at the county fair with her peach pie. An active member of the Rowan Methodist Church and women's society, the highlight of her week was Monday quilting at the church.

Those left to cherish the memory of her life include her children, Eugene Frohling (Ardith) of Clarion, Bonnie Leist (Robert) of Rowan, Diane Sandman (Gordon) of Belmond and Randall Frohling (Pamela) of Belmond; her grandchildren, Leslie Stork of Pequot Lakes, Minn., Gene Frohling (Kristi) of Rowan, Robin Meyer (Bruce) of Rowan, Roxann Swenson (Paul) of Polk City, Ronda Moss (William) of Littleton, Colo., Mary Whitney (Tom) of Aurora, Ill., Lisa Madsen (Scott) of Shawnee, Kan., Guy Frohling of Rowan and Lucas Frohling of Seacacus, N.J.; 22 great-grandchildren; five great-great-grandchildren; sister-in-law, Grace Larson, of Britt; and numerous nieces and nephews. Gertie is preceded in death by her parents, husband, Herman; daughter-in-law, Jessie Frohling; granddaughter, Vicki Frohling; grandson-in-law, Stephen Stork; great-granddaughters, Tiffaney, Sondra and Marcie Stork; sister, Kate Meinders; three brothers, Peter, Bernhard Jr. and Johnny Koenen; two brothers-in-law and three sisters-in-law. Dugger Funeral Home, 111 Luick's Lane S., Belmond.

Mason City Globe Gazette - Iowa
September 15, 2010