Ardella Minnie (Oberhelman) WILL

WILL, OBERHELMAN, ZEHMS, KRAMER, VANZEE, JOHNSON, KELSO, LENZ

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 3/13/2011 at 11:53:18

May 17, 1921 - Dec. 24, 2008

LuVERNE, Iowa - Funeral services for Ardella Will were held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2008, at Trinity Lutheran Church with Reverend Steve Turner officiating. Burial was in the LuVerne Cemetery in LuVerne.

Ardella Minnie Will was born May 17, 1921, in Manson, the daughter of Henry and Emma (Zehms) Oberhelman. Later they moved to Corwith, where she attended school, graduating from Corwith High School in 1939. After her schooling, she worked at the Corwith printing office. Ardella was united in marriage to Robert Will at Zion Lutheran Church in LuVerne on Sept. 28, 1941, during a double-ring ceremony with her twin sister, Luella, and her husband, Roland. The couple lived and farmed northwest of LuVerne. Following retirement in 1980, Ardella and Robert moved to Algona and apartment living. After Robert passed away on Sept. 20, 1995, Ardella continued to reside in Algona until October, 2006, when she took up residence at the Heritage Home in Bancroft. Although no longer able to drive, she had considerable independence until stricken with a sudden illness in December. She died Dec. 24, 2008, at the age of 87 at the Kossuth Regional Health Center in Algona. A very good cook, Ardella enjoyed card playing and was an avid gardener, especially while living in Algona. Fascinated with nature, she was an enthusiastic bird watcher and feeder. In later years word puzzles and card games were frequent pastimes.

She is survived by her sons, Gerald and Merilla Will of Fort Dodge; Gene and Linda Will of Algona; Earl Will of Thompson; grandchildren, Taja, Tova and Tjaden Will; Julie and Chris Kramer, Jamie and Ben VanZee; great-grandchildren, Elle and Will Kramer, Abby and Ava VanZee. Also surviving are sisters-in-law, Shirley Johnson of Pasco, Wash.; Lucille Oberhelman of Corwith and a number of nieces and nephews. Ardella was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Robert; sisters, Helen Oberhelman, Florence Kelso, Luella Lenz and brothers, Arthur, Eldon, Lawrence and Norman. Arrangements were handled by the Garry-Roberts-Murphy-Schaaf Funeral Home of Algona.

Ames Tribune, Ames, IA
December 29, 2008