Gertrude W. Stevens

MASON CITY, IOWA Gertrude W. Stevens, 93, of Mason City, died Monday, February 21, 2011, at the Muse Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit. Funeral services will be held 10:30 A.M. on Friday, February 25, 2011, at Major Erickson Funeral Home, 111 N. Pennsylvania Ave., with Rev. Sid Bohls officiating. Interment will be held in Elmwood St. Joseph Cemetery. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the funeral home. Memorials may be directed to St. Paul Lutheran Church or Hospice of North Iowa.

Gertrude was born January 6, 1918, in Allamakee County, Iowa, the daughter of William and Anna (Lubben) Ficken. She graduated from Mason City High School in 1934 before earning her teaching certificate from Teaching College in Cedar Falls, Iowa. She taught schools in the rural Mason City area. Gertrude was united in marriage to Edward Stevens on August 27, 1938, in New Hampton, Iowa. She and Edward lived southeast of Mason City their entire lives before recently moving to Kentucky Ridge Assisted Living. They enjoyed traveling all over the United States including Hawaii and Alaska during their retirement years. She was a member of Pleasant Ridge Club, Pleasant Ridge Womans Club and St. Paul Lutheran Church. She was very artistic and enjoyed painting china dishes at NIACC for her family and friends. Gertrude also enjoyed gardening, sewing, crocheting, cooking and baking and will be deeply missed by all who loved and knew her.

Gertrude is survived by her husband of 72 years, Edward, of Mason City; children, Phillip (Ann) Stevens of Gilbert, AZ, Kay (David) Johnson of Mason City, Kenneth (Cathy) Stevens of Mason City; grandchildren, Cynthia (Michael) Iannacone of Gilbert, AZ, Kathleen Stevens of Lake Forest, CA, Jeffrey (Dawn) Johnson of Ida Grove, IA, Lara (T.J.) Diekema of Mason City, Rebecca Stevens of Nora Springs, Dawn Stevens of Nora Springs, Barbara (Jason) Grunklee of Brooklyn, IA; nine great-grandchildren; brother, Arthur Ficken of Dallas, TX.

She was preceded in death by her parents; sister, Lucy Green; brother, Edwin Ficken.

Memorials:
Memorials may be directed to St. Paul Lutheran Church or Hospice of North Iowa.

Cemetery:
Interment will be held in Elmwood St. Joseph Cemetery.

Visitation:
Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the funeral home.

Service:
Funeral services will be held 10:30 A.M. on Friday, February 25, 2011, at Major Erickson Funeral Home, 111 N. Pennsylvania Ave., with Rev. Sid Bohls officiating.