Published: October 27, 2008 11:01 am            

Louise Hallenbeck

Louise Hallenbeck, a native of Taylor County, Iowa passed away on October 13th, 2008 at the age of 89 at the Pella Regional Long Term Care Center. She was born on June 1, 1919 to the late Truman and Ida Fern Standley Straight at Platteville, IA. Della Louise Straight Hallenbeck attended the Platteville country school and graduated from Blockton High School in 1936. Louise attended Maryville State Teachers College, Maryville, Missouri and taught in rural schools in Missouri and Iowa. To aid in the war effort during WWII, Louise moved to Dayton, Ohio where she gained military clearance to join a secretarial pool at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Afterwards, she taught in New Market, Shenandoah, and Bedford. It was while teaching in Shenandoah that she met Shenandoah High School band director, Vern R. Hallenbeck. The two were married at Louise’s family home in Platteville in 1954. After years of teaching, the Hallenbecks lived for a few years in Lebanon, Missouri and Townsend, Montana. Moving to Pella, Iowa in 1968, Louise became secretary to the president of Central College, Dr. Kenneth Weller.

Louise was a member of the Central College Auxiliary, the Business and Professional Women of Pella, Chapter BU of the P.E.O. Sisterhood and the 2nd Reformed Church.

In 2003 Louise because a resident of Vriendschap Village in Pella and, as her health began to fail, the Pella Regional Long Term Care Center.

Preceeding Louise in death were her husband, Vern Hallenbeck in 2003; sister Eleanor Vogel Hicks of Stockton, MO; and cousin Glen Straight who was raised as a brother to Eleanor and Louise. Louise is survived by her nephew Jon K. Vogel and his wife, Sydney, of Arvada, CO. and their children, Julia Potwin of Coronado, CA, James Vogel of Denver, CO, and Sarah Louise Thomas of Arvada, CO. Louise helped raise Jon when he lost his father at age 2. She spent much time with Glen’s children: Pam Browne of Bedford, IA, Claire Sawyer of Littlefield TX, and Mary Louise Everhart of Williamsburg, IA. She loved and depended on her neighbor and close friend Karen Hudson of Pella, IA. One of Louise’s great loves was a Husky named ‘Jackie’.

Memorial services will be held at 2 p.m.. Thursday October 23rd at the 2nd Reformed Church in Pella. Memorials may be made to the Platteville Cemetery % Loraine O’Dell, 1002 West St., Bedford, IA 50833 or to the Memorial Fund of Central College, Pella, IA.

Inurnment will be made at a later date at the Platteville Cemetery, close to the family farm, in rural Taylor Country .

Louise was a natural care giver all of her life and will be greatly missed.

        

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