Bonnie Jo Ahrens

Ocheyedan, IA

     Bonnie Ahrens age 70, of Ocheyedan, Iowa passed away on Friday, December 29, 2023, at Sibley Specialty Care in Sibley, IA.

     Memorial service will be at 2:00 p.m. Thursday, January 4, 2024, at the Ocheyedan Methodist Church in Ocheyedan, with Pastor Steve Swenson officiating.

     Burial will follow in the Ocheyedan Township Cemetery of Ocheyedan, IA.

     Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church.

     Arrangements are in the care of the Jurrens Funeral Home of Ocheyedan.

Bonnie Jo (Stahl) Ahrens was born on September 21, 1953 in Sibley, Iowa, to Hurley and Lois (Baal) Stahl. She attended Ocheyedan Schools and later graduated in 1971. Bonnie attended Northwest Iowa Community College for one year and then went to Larsons Beauty School in Spencer, Iowa.

In 1974, she married Kenneth Leroy Johnson (deceased), and they raised one daughter together, April. They were later divorced. She went on to marry Dennis Kellar (deceased), and they too divorced. She married Larry Ahrens (Sheldon, Iowa) on July 18, 1997, and they were later divorced.

Bonnie lived her entire life in Ocheyedan, and worked a variety of jobs including: homemaker, running a home daycare, Sathers, KIWA, and most importantly construction. It was working construction that she met the love of her life, Jim Dekkenga. Together they enjoyed construction work, westerns, hanging out with their grandchildren, riding motorcycles, and traveling, especially cruises. Jim and Bonnie were together for almost 14 years.

  She loved to bake cookies, paint and do crafts, sleepovers, and loved to take her grandchildren places. Bonnie loved to attend plays, concerts, games, and especially band events for her grandchildren.  Bonnie also had a talent for finding treasures at junk sales, and she loved attending Rock the Roof. 

Bonnie had an amazing talent for making everything sparkle. There was nothing she could not do once she made her mind up to do it. She was known for her big heart and all the love that she gave to everyone around her.

She will be greatly missed by, the love of her life, Jim Dekkenga of Ocheyedan, IA; her daughter, April (John) Weber and their children, Sofia, Natalie, Paige, and Jack of Ocheyedan, IA; stepdaughters, Chanda (Drew) Buchholtz and their children, Rhett and Berklee of Sibley, IA, and Jenn (Jeff) Goodman, and their daughter Sydney of Ashland, NE; three siblings, David (Susan) Stahl of Yuma, Arizona, Donna(Curt) Van Engen of Hartley, Iowa, and Steven (Marnie) Stahl of Pipestone, MN, as well as many nieces, nephews, and other extended family members.