Tuesday, May 24, 2022 3:21 am
Jennie Belle (Winkler) Birdsell, 84, of Ossian, Iowa died Sunday, Jan. 23, 2022 at Gundersen Palmer Hospital in West Union.
Jennie was born July 26, 1937 to Clarence Sr. and Dorothy (Brackin) Winkler in Elgin, Iowa. She attended Illyria Country School and North High School. She earned her G.E.D. from NICC. In her younger years Jennie worked for Loftus Restaurant in West Union.
On Nov. 7, 1954 Jennie was united in marriage with the love of her life, Cletus Birdsell, at First Methodist Church in West Union. Two children were born to this union. They settled on a farm south of Ossian where they raised their family and farmed. They celebrated 57 years of marriage together. Throughout the years, Jennie worked at The Townhouse and Pronto in West Union and Casey’s in Ossian. She was a member of Stavanger Lutheran Church where she taught Sunday School and was the Treasurer for many years. She enjoyed attending ceramics class and was a collector of Precious Moments for 25 years. She cherished every moment with her family and friends, especially time spent with her two great grandchildren.
Surviving Jennie are her two children, Alan Birdsell of Cooksville, Tenn., and Becky Birdsell of West Union; granddaughter, Jonie (Jarod) Keune of Wykoff, Minn.; two great-grandchildren, Wesley Keune and Jenna Belle Keune; four siblings, Janice (Gary) Nicols of Des Moines, John (Nancy) Winkler of Cedar Rapids, Cindy (George) Light of Lisbon, and Clarence (Becky) Winkler, Jr. of Ossian; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Virgil and Audrey Birdsell of Ossian; and sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Marlys and Dirk Amundsen of Newton; and several nieces and nephews.
Jennie was preceded in death by her husband on August 15, 2012; parents, Clarence Sr. and Dorothy Winkler; three sisters, JoAnn Winkler, Julie Winkler and Jacquie Winkler; and one brother, James Winkler.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 28, 2022 at Stavanger Lutheran Church in Ossian. There will be a two-hour visitation before services at the church on Saturday. Inurnment will follow at Stavanger Lutheran Cemetery in Ossian. Schmitz-Grau Funeral Home and Cremation Service of Ossian is assisting the family with arrangements.
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