Ardelle Block

A funeral service for Ardelle Block, age 90, of Spirit Lake and formerly of Webb, Iowa, will be held Wednesday, September 16, 2015 at 10:30am at the United Methodist Church in Spirit Lake. Visitation will be on Tuesday, September 15th after 4:00pm with the family present from 5:00-7:00pm at Turner Jenness Funeral Home in Spirit Lake. Mrs. Block passed away Sunday, September 13, 2015 at the Hawkeye Care Center in Spirit Lake. Ardelle is the mother of Jo Gray and Terry Chalstrom. Ardelle Cecelia (Rustan) Block, daughter of Axel and Fannie (Wise) Rustan of Webb was born November 18, 1924. She passed away at Hawkeye Nursing Home, Spirit Lake, Iowa on September 13, 2015. Reaching the age of 90 years, 9 months, and 26 days. Ardelle attended school at Garfield-Webb Consolidated School, graduating in 1941. She continued her education at Buena Vista College in Storm Lake, Iowa obtaining her elementary teaching certificate. Ardelle taught in Goldfield, Iowa; Ocheyedan, Iowa; and Webb and South Clay Schools in Webb, Iowa. After teaching for 28 years, most of those years as a fourth grade teacher, she retired in January 1974. She met Robert while teaching in Ocheyedan. They were married on June 30, 1946 at Ardelle's parents' home in Webb. To this union two daughters were born Terry and Jo. Bob and Ardelle purchased a cottage on Big Spirit Lake in 1964 and then built a permanent home on the lake in 1975 following Bob's retirement from farming. Ardelle loved the lake. She remained in her home until moving to Wel-Life Assisted Living in 2004 and then Hilltop Nursing Home in 2013. Ardelle was an avid reader and liked playing bridge. She is a member of Spirit Lake United Methodist Church. Her family was very important to her. She was a loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. Ardelle is survived by her daughters and their husbands: Jo and Barrett Gray of Spirit Lake, Iowa and Terry and Kenneth Chalstrom of Webb. Grandchildren: Ashley and Scott Luther, Kennedy and Aiden of Gilbert, Arizona; Benjamin Gray and sons Dominic and Quinton of Spirit Lake, Iowa; Jeff and Julie Chalstrom, Cade and Hayden of rural Webb, Iowa; and Ryan and Ashley Chalstrom of Oelwein, Iowa. Sisters- in- law Barbara Block of Ocheyedan, Iowa; Bonnie Belken and her husband Orville of Arnolds Park, Iowa; Alice Jean Bergman and her husband Dan of Ogden, Utah; and brother- in- law Dennis Block of Ocheyedan, Iowa. Many nieces and nephews and friends. She was preceded in death by her husband Robert, her parents Axel and Fannie Rustan, her mother and father-in-law Leland and Emma Block; her sister Betty Hoover and her husband Donald; brother- in- law Maurice Dale Block and sister and brother- in- law Jon and Doris Mitts.