Iva Mary Keniston was born April 20, 1914 in Maynard, Iowa, the daughter of Earl and Caroline (Bartle) Beckner. Iva was baptized at the Maynard Church November 3, 1914. Her family moved to Oelwein when she was four years old and attended school and church in Oelwein. Iva was confirmed April 1, 1928. On June 21, 1931 she was united in marriage to Kyle Keniston at Zion Lutheran Church in Oelwein. They had five children. Iva loved to play cards and ride horse back. She rode one hundred miles in a National Trail Ride, placing 7th. She was secretary for Corn Belt Credit Union, for Ladies Aid and Eunice Circle. She often worked in the church kitchen and dining room. Iva loved her flowers, with gladiolas being her favorite, often taking bouquets to Sunday church. She helped her husband at Flea Market and with the farm chores. Her big ambition was to ride horse back on her 90th birthday, which she accomplished in Texas at her Grandson’s. Her other ambitious accomplishments were seeing the Golden Gate Bridge, The Red Wood Forest, visiting Hawaii in Jan., 1976 and the Calgary Stampede in Canada. She also enjoyed going to Texas the last ten years to grandchildren’s weddings and great-grandchildren’s baptisms. Her daughters and husband were the “best”. She loved her grandchildren and had them out to the farm a lot when they were young.
She is survived by her three daughters, Joan (Chuck) Moulds of Fairbank, Kathryn (Walter) Schwartz of Westgate and Mary (Eldon) Marting of Amarillo, Texas, six grandchildren, eleven great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Kyle in 1989, a daughter Donna Jo in 1934 and a son Jimmy in 1940, her parents, her siblings Harry Beckner, Bill Beckner and Loren Beckner, Florence Froning, Mable Gray and Etna Zenft and a grand-daughter Kim Schwartz.
SERVICES: 11:00 am on Friday, June 4, 2010 at Zion Lutheran Church in Oelwein, with Rev. Leo Combs-Lay officiating. Burial will be in Woodlawn Cemetery, Oelwein. There will be no visitation.
