Marion M. Blank

GARNER – Marion M. Blank, 97, of Garner died Tuesday, January 10, 2017 at Valley View in Greene, Iowa.

Funeral services will be held 10:30 A.M., Monday, January 16th at the United Methodist Church in Garner. Burial will be at Concord Township Cemetery in Garner.

Visitation will be held from 4 to 6 P.M., Sunday at the Cataldo Funeral Chapel, 160 E. 4th St., in Garner and one hour prior to services at the church.

Memorials may be directed to the GHV One-On-One Mentoring Program or God’s Pantry.

Marion May Blank, the daughter of Arthur and Viola (May) Dockstader, was born July 28, 1919 in Otranto, Iowa. She graduated from Otranto High School in 1937 and Waldorf College in Forest City with a teaching certificate. She later continued her education at Drake University where she received her teaching degree. Marion was married to Carlyle Abele in 1941 and four children were born to this union. They later divorced. Marion married Cecil Blank on June 1, 1970 in Bellevue, Nebraska. They made their home in Garner all their married life. Marion taught school for one year at Hayfield Consolidated School in 1940 and junior high math and social studies at Klemme Community Schools from 1964 until her retirement in 1985. In 2011, she moved to Prairie View Apartments in Garner and later to Summit House in Britt before entering Valley View in Greene in October of 2016. Marion enjoyed wintering in Texas with Cecil for many years, visiting with family and friends, card playing and quilting at the church. She made numerous quilts for family and friends over the years.

She was an active member of the United Methodist Church in Garner and UMW. In her younger years, she belonged to a bowling league and sang in the Sweet Adeline’s Choir.

Marion is survived by her children, Robert Abele of Nisland, SD, Beverly (Ron) Kester of Greene, Caryl Faulkender of Britt, Diane (Doug) McCabe of Garner, Linda (Shirley) Brown of Garner and Ken (Jan) Blank of Klemme; thirty-six grandchildren; forty-three great grandchildren; four great-great grandchildren; a sister, Gretchen Gomez of Mason City; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Cecil in 1993; and son, Dean Abele in 2010.