Jesse Benjamin SUNTKEN

SUNTKEN, GRUIS, PALS, SYMENS, NEUBERGER, CHRISTIE, MURL, DIPPEL, BOCK, EARLY

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 3/25/2012 at 16:04:46

November 3, 1910 ----- March 19, 2012

Meservey - Jesse Benjamin Suntken, 101, formerly of the rural Meservey and Belmond areas, most recently a resident of the Sheffield Care Center, Sheffield, died Monday, March 19, 2012, at the Sheffield Care Center. Funeral services set for 10:30 a.m., Friday, March 23, at the First Reformed Church of Meservey. The Rev. Rodney Meester will be officiating. Burial will be in the Immanuel Reformed Church Cemetery east of Belmond. Visitation is Thursday, March 22, from 5-7 p.m., at the Andrews Funeral Home, 516 First St. S.E., Belmond, and continues one hour prior to the services at church Friday. Those wishing to express their sympathies in memorials may wish to consider Hospice of North Iowa.

Jesse Benjamin Suntken was born Nov. 3, 1910 on a farm east of Alexander to John and Yettie (Gruis) Suntken. Jesse graduated from Meservey High School in 1930. On Jan. 22, 1937, Jesse was united in marriage to Esther Marie Pals at the Meservey Reformed parsonage. To this union four children were born Donna, Madonna, Janet and James. Jesse devoted his life to his wife and family. He loved to spend time with his grandchildren and was always ready to tell a good story and share a heart filled laugh. His family was his life and true love. However, Jesse's passion was farming and raising Belgian horses and working the land. He knew how to sow the fields and harvest the crops and spent his whole life tending to the farmland and his livestock. Jesse also had a keen interest in caring for his Belgian horses. Jesse enjoyed raising horses, he spent numerous hours and went to countless horse shows as he admired those majestic creatures. Jesse had a very full 101 years of his life and was proud of the fact that he was able to live on his own for the first 100. He had countless memories and went through so much in his life he even shared a brief glimpse of his life as he was interviewed with students from Belmond. Jesse was strong in his faith and would always say "I am blessed; I am the luckiest man alive." His strong faith in the Lord was the utmost importance to him, and he attended the First Reformed Church of Meservey his entire life.

Those left to cherish Jesse's memory include his four children Donna (Ronald) Symens, Sheffield; Madonna (William) Neuberger, Klemme; Janet (Derald) Pals, Belmond; son James (Dianna) Suntken; Belmond; Sister Viola Christie; Brother; Herman (Berneice) Suntken; Grandchildren; Barbara Murl, Wayne Neuberger, Brian Symens, Linda Dippel, Mark Symens, Denise Bock, Audra Early, Jason Pals, Jonathan and Matthew Suntken; Along with twenty-eight great-grandchildren, and two great-great grandchildren. Jesse was preceded in death by his wife and life partner for over sixty years Esther; parents John and Yettie; brothers Benjamin (Tena) and Frederick (Lorene); sister-in-law Mildred Suntken; two great-grandchildren Daniel Murl and Quinten Pals. Andrews Funeral Home Belmond, IA.

Mason City Globe Gazette - Iowa
March 22, 2012