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- _P_CCINFO 2-14330
Elna Louise Joens, the second child of Louis and Anna Ahrens Groteluschen, was born October 17, 1897, at Gray, Iowa. Infant brother Arnold Edwin, born February 16, 1896, died at nine months of pneumonia. Elna was baptized on November 7, 1897, and confirmed on March 31, 1912 at Trinity Lutheran in Lincoln Township, Audubon County, Iowa. After graduating from Gray High School she taught school for five years in Audubon County.
She dated locally, but preferred those "tall good-looking Manning boys." She met one of them, William Joens, at a house dance a few miles south of the Trinity Lutheran Church. When Elna learned from a friend that William Joens was the son of "Hog" Joens, she concluded that he must be from a dirty, messy family. She nearly broke-off the relationship until she learned that his father actually was Jurgen Joens, the largest swine producer in the area. Consequently, the nickname "Hog." Another minor obstacle to their continuing romance, but easily overcome, was her fathers objection to her seeing any of those "Manning boys" because there were so many saloons in that town.
On March 9, 1921, Elna Groteluschen and William Joens were united in marriage by Rev. J. Schliepsieck at the Lutheran Parsonage in Audubon County. They had two children, Orland and Lyle. Elna and Bill farmed south of Manning until they retired and moved to Manning in1948. At that time they joined Zion Lutheran Church where Elna was a member of the Ladies Guild and active in church events. She possessed an inner strength attributed to an unwavering faith in her religion.
Her many distinguishing characteristics were honesty, loyalty, envious of no one, never involved in harmful gossip, opinionated without being argumentative, and enjoyed the simple things in life. Elna and Bill traveled all of the lower forty-eight states by car, and she preferred to avoid the Interstate highways so they might drive through small towns along the way. She abstained from alcoholic beverages, and when asked if shed care for a glass of wine, her answer would be "no thanks, Im not thirsty." When she and Bill were well into their eighties, her brother-in-law, Emil Joens, who had served as a witness at their wedding, paid them the ultimate compliment by saying he wished he could "grow old as gracefully as Bill and Elna."
Due to failing health, Elna became a resident of the Manning Plaza Nursing Home in 1988. She died June 18, 1989 at the Manning General Hospital of complications of advanced cancer at the age of 91 years, 8 months and 1 day.
Elna is buried by her husband in Manning Cemetery in Manning, Iowa.
Submitted by son Orland Joens
[ColfaxDeutschlandPlatte.FBK.FTW]
Elna Louise Joens, the second child of Louis and Anna Ahrens Groteluschen, was born October 17, 1897, at Gray, Iowa. Infant brother Arnold Edwin, born February 16, 1896, died at nine months of pneumonia. Elna was baptized on November 7, 1897, and confirmed on March 31, 1912 at Trinity Lutheran in Lincoln Township, Audubon County, Iowa. After graduating from Gray High School she taught school for five years in Audubon County.
She dated locally, but preferred those "tall good-looking Manning boys." She met one of them, William Joens, at a house dance a few miles south of the Trinity Lutheran Church. When Elna learned from a friend that William Joens was the son of "Hog" Joens, she concluded that he must be from a dirty, messy family. She nearly broke-off the relationship until she learned that his father actually was Jurgen Joens, the largest swine producer in the area. Consequently, the nickname "Hog." Another minor obstacle to their continuing romance, but easily overcome, was her fathers objection to her seeing any of those "Manning boys" because there were so many saloons in that town.
On March 9, 1921, Elna Groteluschen and William Joens were united in marriage by Rev. J. Schliepsieck at the Lutheran Parsonage in Audubon County. They had two children, Orland and Lyle. Elna and Bill farmed south of Manning until they retired and moved to Manning in1948. At that time they joined Zion Lutheran Church where Elna was a member of the Ladies Guild and active in church events. She possessed an inner strength attributed to an unwavering faith in her religion.
Her many distinguishing characteristics were honesty, loyalty, envious of no one, never involved in harmful gossip, opinionated without being argumentative, and enjoyed the simple things in life. Elna and Bill traveled all of the lower forty-eight states by car, and she preferred to avoid the Interstate highways so they might drive through small towns along the way. She abstained from alcoholic beverages, and when asked if shed care for a glass of wine, her answer would be "no thanks, Im not thirsty." When she and Bill were well into their eighties, her brother-in-law, Emil Joens, who had served as a witness at their wedding, paid them the ultimate compliment by saying he wished he could "grow old as gracefully as Bill and Elna."
Due to failing health, Elna became a resident of the Manning Plaza Nursing Home in 1988. She died June 18, 1989 at the Manning General Hospital of complications of advanced cancer at the age of 91 years, 8 months and 1 day.
Elna is buried by her husband in Manning Cemetery in Manning, Iowa.
Submitted by son Orland Joens
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1897 - 1989 (91 years)