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Gayle Henry Ahrendsen
May 27, 1927 – December 10, 2018
Gayle Henry Ahrendsen, 91, passed away on Monday, December 10, 2018, at the Anamosa Care Center.
He was born and raised in rural Oxford Junction, Iowa, the youngest of four sons of August and Irma (Nissen) Ahrendsen. He attended rural school and Olin Consolidated School graduating in 1945. He attended the University of Iowa for a semester. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1946, stationed at Port Chicago, California and was discharged in 1948. He began farming on the family farm in 1949.
Gayle married Donna Christensen in Oxford Junction in 1950. They had three sons. Donna passed away in 1997. He married Pauline Twachtmann of Bella Vista, Arkansas in 2000. They resided on the family farm until they retired. They moved to Monticello and lived there until they went to assisted living in Marion where they stayed until their passing.
In his youth, Gayle was an accomplished baseball player. In later years, he liked golfing. He enjoyed farming and feeding Black Angus Cattle, shipping the cattle to Union Stock Yards in Chicago until it closed. He was VP of the Jones County Beef Board a member of the Jones County Farm Bureau, ASCS Board, Olin American Legion and St. Mark’s Lutheran Church.
He is survived by three sons, Mark (Cathy) of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Monte (Margo) of Oxford Junction, Bruce (Jolene) of Fayetteville, Arkansas; ten grandsons; two great-granddaughters; two great-grandsons; brother, Lowell (Wanda); ten nephews and nieces; Pauline’s children, Pamela (Ron) Pickup, Dona Swindle, Teresa Medinger, Ted (Linda) Twachtmann, Tamara (Nathan) Schwab and Deb Twachtmann.
He was preceded in death by his parents, August and Irma; brothers Merlin (Jeanne) and Norman (Marge); and Pauline’s son, Todd Twachtmann.
His funeral service was held Tuesday, December 18, 2018, at 10:30 a.m. at Lahey and Dawson Funeral Home in Olin, Iowa, with an hour visitation before the service. A visitation was held on Monday, December 17, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Lahey and Dawson Funeral Home. Burial was held at the Olin Cemetery with military honors.

Submitted by: Janet A. Brandt
Source: Anamosa Journal Eureka, Anamosa, Iowa

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