Eldon John Jansen went home to be with the Lord on October 31, 2008.  Eldon was born on March 19, 1919 on a family farm in Dickinson County to Hans and Frieda (Wunder) Jansen.  The family moved to a farm near Lake Park where he went to school, played basketball and was in 4-H.

On October 4, 1940, Eldon was united in marriage to Arlowene Marcella Voss in Spirit Lake, Iowa.  The Jansens farmed north of Lake Park and then in Sioux Valley Township from 1940 to 1964 before moving to their present farm in Harris, Iowa.  He farmed his entire life, milking cows for a total of sixty years.

Eldon was a lifetime member of the First Presbyterian Church of Lake Park and served as Deacon for three years.  He loved dancing, playing cards, gardening and collecting toy tractors.  He had a good sense of humor.  When talking to Eldon, he liked to reminisce about his early farming days, farming with horses and helping build the first 4-H barn at the Dickinson County Fairgrounds.  He felt that working was not a job, he loved to farm.

Eldon passed away at the Heart Hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota at eighty-nine years of age.

He is survived by his two sons, Stanley and his wife, Kay of Sibley, Iowa and Marlo and his fiancé, Sherry of Harris; two daughters, Sandy and her husband, Gary Widdel of Round Lake, Minnesota and Sharyl Curtis of Spencer, Iowa; three grandchildren, Peggy Daigle of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Julie and Mike Steichen of Sibley and Jim and Kim Jansen of Tecumseh, Nebraska; seven great-grandchildren, Eric, Laura and Jennifer Daigle, Branigan and Carson Steichen and Matthew and Madison Jansen; one brother, Earl (Donna) of Loveland, Colorado; sisters, Lois Untiedt of Milford, Iowa, Ellen (Vernon) Voss of Spirit Lake and Bertha Beck of Hemett, California.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Arlowene; three sons, Steven, Stuart and infant son, Sylvan; his parents; two sisters and one brother.

IN LOVING MEMORY

Eldon J. Jansen
March 19, 1919          October 31, 2008

SERVICES
First Presbyterian Church
Lake Park, Iowa
Wednesday, November 5, 2008   1:00PM

CLERGY
Pastor Suzanne Wobig

MUSIC
Ken Byers and Diane Duis, duet
On Eagles Wings
Congregational Hymns
The Old Rugged Cross    Amazing Grace
Lee and Cathy Smith, duet
In The Garden
Loretta McClain, organist

PALLBEARERS
Leonard Jansen, Jr.      William Jansen      Dick Kimbler
Doug Kness                  Kayle Kuehl                 Jeff Voss

HONORARY BEARERS
Jim Jansen                Mike Steichen        Bernell Walker
Steve Bosma               Larry Post            Ray Akkerman

INTERMENT
Silver Lake Cemetery
Lake Park, Iowa

Just a Farmer
“Just a farmer,” you said and I laughed cause I knew
all the things that farmers must be able to do.
They must study the land then watch the sky
and figure just when is the right time and why ~~
to sow and to plant to buy and to sell
to go to the market with cattle and, well ~~
you know the books that farmers must keep
to pay all those taxes and be able to sleep.
And you know the fixin that farmers must do
when machines like mad monsters blow a gasket or two.
I guess when God needed folks to care for His earth
He chose “just farmers” cause He knew their true worth.