Dortena Mae Keninger

Ashton, IA Dortena Keninger, age 69 of Ashton, IA died Thursday, December 11, 2014 at the Osceola Community Hospital in Sibley, IA. Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 a.m., December 15th, at the St. Mary's Catholic Church in Ashton, with Father Alan Reicks celebrating. Burial will follow in the St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery in Ashton. Visitation will be Sunday, December 14th from 2:00 to 8:00 p.m. with the family present from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the St. Mary's Catholic Church. There will be a rosary at 4:00 p.m. and a vigil service at 6:30 p.m. Dortena Mae Keninger was born October 4, 1945 in Sheldon, Iowa, the daughter of Gerrit and Jessamine (Schuller) Vander Pol. As a child she lived near Sanborn and attended Sanborn Christian School, until her family moved to a farm southeast of Sibley, IA where she graduated from Sibley High School in 1964. After graduating she worked for various families in the area providing child care. She was united in marriage to Donald "Butch" Martin Keninger on August 5, 1969 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Ashton, IA. Together the couple lived and farmed northwest of Ashton. To this union four children were born, Donna, Karen, Leon and Joyce. She was a homemaker, maintaining vegetable gardens and provided meals for her husband and children. Later she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and her health began to decline. She was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Ashton, Catholic Daughters of America. She enjoyed puzzles and playing cards. Most of all she enjoyed time spent with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She entered the Sibley Nursing & Rehab Center in Sibley, IA in 2000, where she remained until this past Thursday, December 11, 2014. She was survived by her husband of 45 years, Donald "Butch" Keninger of Ashton, IA; four children, Donna (husband, Ken) Roder of Ashton, IA, Karen Keninger of Primghar, IA, Leon Keninger and Joyce Keninger, both of Ashton, IA; four grandchildren, Samantha Roder, Jennifer Roder, Kimberlin Roder and Michael Keninger; three great-grandchildren, Ava Richards, Ashton Richards and Claire Roder; two sisters, Janice (husband, Bill) Wolterstorff of Worthington, MN and Esther Vander Pol of Centerville, MN; three brothers, Charles (wife, Pearl) Vander Pol of Ashton, IA, Robert (wife, Carolyn) Vander Pol of Sibley, IA and Gary Vander Pol of Sibley, IA; brother-in-law, Vincent (wife, Lois) Keninger of Sibley, IA; and many nieces, nephews and other extended family and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, Gerrit and Jessamine Vander Pol; sister-in-law, Cindy Vander Pol; brother-in-law, John Keninger; nephew, Robert "Bobby" Keninger.