MaeFerne (Janssen) WENZEL

WENZEL, JANSSEN, KIESLICH, MENKE, SPITLER, ELLINGSTON, MEYERS, TABERT, SAVANTE, VAN CURA, ASH

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 6/10/2011 at 21:32:57

May 26, 1931 --- June 5, 2011

BELMOND, IA - MaeFerne Wenzel, 80 of Belmond, died unexpectedly Sunday, June 5, 2011, at the Belmond Medical Center, Belmond. Funeral services will be held Friday, June 10, at 10 a.m., at the Immanuel Reformed Church, east of Belmond. The Rev. David DeKuiper will be officiating. Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. Thursday at the Andrews Funeral Home and one hour prior to the services at church Friday. Burial will be in the Alexander Cemetery, Alexander. Memorials may be directed to the family or the donor's choice.

MaeFerne Janssen, the daughter of Herman and Blanche (Kieslich) Janssen, was born May 26, 1931, in Richland Township, five miles west of Chapin. She grew up and was baptized and confirmed in the Zion Reformed Church, Sheffield, and later became a member of the church in her teen years. MaeFerne attended rural school Pleasantview No. 8 Township School before attending Chapin High School. She was united in marriage to Fred J. Wenzel, on Feb. 12, 1950, at the Reformed Church Parsonage in Alexander. The couple's union was blessed with six children including Caroline, Leland, Loren, Carlene, Craig, and Merlin who passed away in his infancy. MaeFerne and her husband Fred farmed and raised their family for many years east of Belmond, where MaeFerne was an integral partner in the farming operations assisting with the raising of the livestock, operating the machinery and working side by side with Fred in many of the farming tasks. She was a life long homemaker, devoted wife and nurturing and loving mother and grandmother. She had worked outside the home as well for a number of years in the Mellow Maid Cafe in Belmond and was employed for nine and one-half years at the Belmond Health Care Center, Belmond. Following retirement from full time farming in 1980, MaeFerne and Fred moved into the town of Belmond, where they enjoyed their many years together surrounded by the many activities and occasions that involved times with their families. MaeFerne also continued to pursue her wonderful skills and hobbies of embroidering beautiful hand-crafted towels, rag rugs, and blankets. Countless hours, patience and loving hands were spent in this favorite pastime. MaeFerne and Fred also enjoyed travels to visit relatives in Oklahoma, Wisconsin and various other places, as well as, Sunday afternoon tours of the countryside. If you saw one of the couple out and about, you would almost always find the other nearby as they were a very close tandem. MaeFerne also was fond of animals, especially her cats.

MaeFerne will be remembered for her delicious baking and culinary skills. He children and grandchildren will miss her famous "Yucky Cake", which they titled it, with a bit of humor as it truly was quite delicious. They will miss her "House Specialty" and her frosted graham crackers and various other delights. All who knew her will also miss her soft personality, her warm smile, heart warming giggle and the magnetic twinkle in her eyes.

MaeFerne's memory will live on in the hearts and minds of her surviving family, including her children: Caroline (John) Menke, Garner, Leland (Jeanette) Wenzel, Dows, Loren (Laura) Wenzel, Belmond, Carlene (Joe) Spitler, Belmond, and Craig (Kim) Wenzel, Kanawha; her siblings, Harry (Kathryn) Janssen, Waverly, Walter (Pearl) Janssen, Iowa Falls, Clyde (Kathy) Janssen, Mason City, Ralph (Jan) Janssen, Altus, Okla, Rebecca (Ray) Ellingston), Belmond, and Margaret (Kae) Meyers, Altus, Okla.; 11 grandchildren, and eight great grandchildren; numerous nieces and nephews, as well as, other extended family and friends. Also surviving are MaeFerne's in-laws Cathryn Tabert, Osage, Mary (Tony) Savante, Mason City, George (Mildred) Wenzel and Lily Dippel, all of Belmond, James (Joyce) Wenzel and Robert (Caroline) Wenzel, all of Alexander, Gladys (Chuck) Van Cura, Lakefield, Minn., and Phyllis (Donavan) Ash, Grundy Center. MaeFerne was preceded in death by her parents, son Merlin on Feb. 4, 1954, three grandchildren, Abbie, Dusty, and Afton, brother Harvey and his wife, Hope, and her mother-in-law and father-in-law, Fred and Grace Wenzel. Andrews Funeral Home, Belmond, IA.

Mason City Globe Gazette -- Iowa
June 8, 2011