Ivadell L. Abele

GARNER – Ivadell L. Abele, 94, of St. Louis, MO, formerly of Garner, died Sunday, January 3, 2016 at Mari de Villa Assisted Living Center in St. Louis.

Funeral services will be held 10:30 A.M., Saturday, January 9th at the United Methodist Church in Garner with Rev. Paul Evans officiating. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery.

Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 P.M., Friday at the Cataldo Funeral Chapel, 160 E. 4th St., in Garner and will continue one hour prior to services at the church.

Ivadell Linda Reemstma, the daughter of Ben and Bena (Lindeman) Reemtsma, was born June 17, 1921 and was raised in Ventura, Iowa. She attended AIB in Des Moines and returned home to work in Garner where she met her husband, John Abele. On March 20, 1943 they were married in Mason City. The couple farmed in the Garner area where they raised six children. Ivadell was a wonderful artist and could really play the piano as well. She was ingenious at making things and made all the furniture for a doll house, invented a board game the whole family loved, and sewed dresses for her girls. She always kept up with what went on in the world, and made her children feel they could go for their dreams. After the children were older, she started working for the Hancock County Extension Office in Garner where she made many friends in the years to come. After Ivadell and John “retired to town” in Garner, she continued to work and was involved in the Methodist Church women’s circle. Throughout her life, Ivadell had a kind word and a smile for everyone she met and she will be dearly missed.

Ivadell is survived by her children, Nile Abele (Ann) of Stillwater Oklahoma, Marby Lange (Tom) of Kansas City, Kansas, Adree Abele of St. Louis, Missouri and Jill Butcher (Bill) of Suffield, Connecticut; eight grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 62 years, John; two sons, Brent and Thad Abele; and her sister, Beverly Greiman.