Dolores Elaine (Wood) BAMMAN ZIRBEL

ZIRBEL, WOOD, CROSBY, BAMMAN, OLTHOFF, GAULEY, JONES, BRANIGER, MIDTHUM, GRAY, BIRKHOLZ, NEUBAUER, CARPENTER, BOYD

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 3/27/2012 at 17:05:03

August 27, 1928 --- March 10, 2012

Dolores Elaine Zirbel, 83, of Ankeny died Saturday, March 10, 2012 at home surrounded by her loving family. Visitation will be 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, March 12, 2012 at Ankeny Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at Epworth United Methodist Church (412 Euclid Ave. Des Moines, IA). Cremation will follow services and burial will take place at a later date.

Dolores was born on the family farm south of Clear Lake, IA on August 27, 1928 to Walter Wood Sr. and Alma (Crosby) Wood. She attended Eden Country School and graduated from Clear Lake High School. On October 5, 1947 she married Roger Bamman. They lived for one year near Underwood, SD and one year at Clear Lake, IA, after which they established their home near Klemme, IA. To this union two daughters were born, Kathryn and Barbara. Roger died in March of 1959. Dolores and the girls then moved to Clear Lake and lived with her parents on the family farm. She enrolled in and graduated from Hamilton Business College and also worked as a food server during this time.

On June 18, 1960 Dolores was united in marriage to Glen Zirbel in Clear Lake, IA. They lived south of Clear Lake until 1963 when they moved to Ankeny, Des Moines, and back to Ankeny. To this union four daughters were born, Julie, Cynthia, Melinda, and Melissa.

Dolores was an excellent cook and always provided her family with home cooked meals. Baking bread was also a specialty. She would bake five loaves at a time, knowing when the girls came home from school one warm loaf would be devoured as an after school treat. Dolores also sewed clothing for her six girls. She worked as a store clerk for a time, did all the bookwork for Zirbel Auto Crushing and worked at various grocery stores passing out food samples. She loved meeting and chatting with the customers. Dolores enjoyed traveling with Glen to his various running events and enjoyed going to the casino.

Survivors include her husband Glen of Ankeny, six daughters; Kathryn (Roger) Olthoff of Corwith, IA; Barbara (Dennis Gauley) of Ankeny, IA; Julie Jones of Ankeny, IA; Cynthia Braniger (Mike Midthum) of Des Moines, IA; Melinda Gray (Don Birkholz) of Ankeny, IA; Melissa (Bob) Neubauer of Slater, IA; one step daughter, Lovella (Jerry) Carpenter of Mason City, IA; 14 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren, two brothers, Ellery (Darlene) Wood of Garner, IA; Don (Donita) Wood of Pinetop, AZ; sister-in-laws, brother-in-laws, and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her first husband Roger Bamman, her parents, Walter and Alma Wood, sister, Faith Boyd, and two brothers, Jon Wood in infancy and W. Amos Wood. Memorial contributions may be directed to the family.