Merle Wolken

Merle Wolken, 100, of Gilman, Iowa, was welcomed into Heaven’s gates on the morning of Saturday, October 31, 2020 at home with his wife and family at his side. Services for Merle will be held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020 at the Trinity Lutheran Church of Dillon beginning at 10:30 a.m. for immediate family. Everyone is welcome to join the family at the graveside services at 11:00 a.m. at the Dillon Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Trinity Lutheran Church of Dillon, the Max and Myles foundation, Ethan Hungerford Memorial Scholarship. For additional information or to send a condolence to the family please visit www.mitchellfh.com or phone 641-844-1234. Care for Merle and his family have been entrusted to Mitchell Family Funeral Home. Merle Wolken was born the first baby of the new year on January 1, 1920 to parents Dan and Elsie Wolken in Marshalltown, Iowa. He was the oldest of two children. He attended school in Ferguson and graduated from Ferguson High School in the class of 1938. Following his graduation, Merle began work as a carpenter and a farmer until he was drafted into the United States Army Airforce to serve during World War II. Upon his discharge, Merle moved back home to Dillon where he continued to farm. On July 25, 1954, he was united in marriage to his beautiful bride Donna Niederhauser at the Trinity Lutheran Church of Dillon. Together they raised four children. Merle was a devoted Christian and a lifelong member of the Trinity Lutheran Church of Dillon. In his free time he was constantly busy, whether that be organizing around his desk to tinkering around with various objects around the house or farm. He was a strong family man following his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren’s sports teams. He enjoyed watching his favorite sports teams, the St. Louis Cardinals, Iowa Hawkeyes and Iowa State Cyclones. In his younger days he loved to play baseball as well as go hunting and fishing. Left to remember and cherish his memory are his wife of 66 years, Donna Wolken; his children Deb (Duane) Cooling, Ann (Kirby) Frost, Danny (Cindy Davidson) Wolken and Mary (Jim) Dannen; his grandchildren, Teri (Tim) Hungerford, Trent (Dusty) Cooling, Justin (Michele) Frost, Breanne (Mike) Brummel, Megan (Ira) Seymour, Sarah (Brandon) Davison, Wade (Rachel) Wolken, Nathan (Allison) Wolken, Jake Dannen and Zach (Cari Linkenmeyer) Dannen; 22 great-grandchildren; eight great-great grandchildren and his sister Bernice (Dale) Stonewall and brother-in-law Merl Niederhauser. He was preceded in death by his parents Dan and Elsie Wolken and his great-grandson Ethan Hungerford.