Earlene Niewoehner

Earlene J. Niewoehner, age 90 of Fredericksburg, Iowa died Wednesday June 17, 2015, at Mercy Medical Center in New Hampton. Funeral services will be held 10:30 a.m. Saturday, June 20, 2015, at St Peter's Lutheran Church - Richfield, rural Sumner with Pastor Wayne Ellingson presiding. Gene Niewoehner will be the vocalist for the service accompanied by Irmgard Ellingson playing the organ. Hymns will be 'The Lord's Prayer', 'How Great Thou Art' and 'The Old Rugged Cross'. Interment will be in Rose Hill Cemetery, Fredericksburg with Nate Steege, Gavin Steege, Collin Steege, Clayton Niewoehner, Jordan Niewoehner, Austin Niewoehner, Derek Drape and Nolan Nolte servings as pallbearers. Jessica Nikkel, Stacy Regennitter, Holly Eastman and Lindsey Rogers will be servings as honorary pallbearers. Friends may greet the family 4:00 - 7:00 p.m. Friday, June 19, 2015, at the Hugeback Johnson Funeral Home in Fredericksburg. Visitation continues an hour prior to the service at the church on Saturday. Earlene J. Niewoehner was born January 20, 1925, in LeMars, Iowa, the daughter of Earl and Oma (Shimer) Cooper. She attended Morrison Elementary School in Morrison, Iowa followed by becoming a 1942 graduate of the Grundy Center High School. Following high school she attended the Iowa State Teachers College in Cedar Falls, earning her teaching degree. Shortly after graduating college, a friend introduced her to Wilfred “Bill” Niewoehner. The two quickly fell in love and on November 11, 1951, were united in marriage at the Morrison Presbyterian Church in Morrison, IA. To this union four children were born. Earlene was an elementary school teacher for many years. She taught in Morrison, Toledo, Alpha, West Union, Turkey Valley and Sumner. Her longest stay was at Durant School in Sumner where she taught Chapter I Remedial Reading for 22 years. While the schools were closed in the summer, you would find her gardening, canning, keeping track of her children's activities and preparing meals. She especially loved cooking for the men when they were working long hours in the field. Earlene was very active in St. Peters Lutheran Church in Richfield. She was a Sunday School and Bible Study teacher for many years. She also was a part of many clubs and organizations, including the Sarah Circle at St. Peters, Farm Bureau Women, American Legion Auxiliary and Alpha Pi Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma. Earlene will be remembered for sending cards and writing letters to all of her grandchildren while they were at college. She also loved going to her grandchildren’s sporting events and spending time swimming and being on the water in the summer time. Her friends and family loved her baking, especially peanut brittle. Earlene is survived by three daughters, Beth (Jerry) Hagberg of Spirit Lake, IA, Jolee (Milo) Drape of Fredericksburg, IA and Carol (Larry) Kuecker of Waverly, IA; 12 grandchildren; 3 step-grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; 9 step-great-grandchildren; one sister, Miriam Jean Vollweiler of Eureka, California; one special cousin, Marilyn “Malt” Brookshire of Arizona. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Wilfred “Bill” on February 11, 2010; one son, Brad Niewoehner; one sister, Carol High.