Alve Kirby

Alve B. Kirby, age 93 of Shell Rock, formerly of Plainfield died Tuesday, July 19, 2011, at Waverly Health Center. Funeral services will be held 10:00 a.m. Friday, July 22, 2011, at Hugeback & Chenoweth Funeral Home, Nashua with Pastor Beth Olson officiating. Musical selections include 'Just a Closer Walk with Thee' and 'Precious Lord Take My Hand.' Interment will be in Willow Lawn Cemetery, Plainfield with Scott Crump, Robert Pepin, Kyle Mehmen, Stan Mehmen, Mervin Sires, Michael Sires, and Leland Busching serving as pallbearers. Friends may greet the family 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. Thursday, July 21, 2011, at the Hugeback & Chenoweth Funeral Home, Nashua. Visitation continues an hour prior to the service at the funeral home on Friday. Alve Bennett Kirby was born May 5, 1918, the son of Wilfred and Opal (Reynolds) Kirby in Stratton, Nebraska. His father worked as a farm hand, and the family moved wherever there was work to be done. They settled in Mason City where Alve received the majority of his education. On February 9, 1941, he was united in marriage to Jeanette Busching at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Clarksville. To this union, two children were born. The couple farmed north of Plainfield for a number of years, then moved to Oelwein where they lived and worked until 1967. Alve was an owner-operator of semi tractors and made many trips between the ditches across our country’s highways. They then returned to the area where they lived on the farm in rural Plainfield. After the passing of Jeanette in 2003, Alve sold his farm and moved into Shell Rock where he resided until the time of his death. Family and friends alike enjoyed all the napkin holders, end tables, and other woodworking projects that Alve would build for them. He was very meticulous about his work, especially when it came to the quilts that he created along with his wife. He made sure his family and friends would never be cold as they were all recipients of his quilting projects. Survivors include two daughters, Marcele (Roy) Sires of Waverly, IA, Marjorie Pepin of Center Point, IA; four grandchildren, Robert (Kimberly) Pepin of Stuart, IA, Kimberlee Crump of Cedar Rapids, Andrew (Carissa) Crump of Independence, and Scott (Ann) Crump of Valley City, ND; a brother, Robert Kirby of Oceanside, CA; five great grandchildren; three nephews and two nieces. He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Jeanette, in 2003; two sisters, Dona Whiteside, and Theone Kirby.