Lena Salven

LENA I. SALVEN Marion Lena I. (Abbas) Salven, 86, of Marion, passed away on Sunday, May 15, 2016, at the Dennis and Donna Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy in Hiawatha. Services will be held at the Lutheran Church of the Resurrection, Marion, on Friday, June 10, at 2:30 p.m. The family will greet friends and celebrate her life following the services from 4 to 6:30 p.m. at the American Legion Post 298, Marion. A private family burial will be held at Geneva, Iowa, at a later date. Lena was born Aug. 4, 1929, to George Sr. and Ida (Lauterbach) Abbas near Ackley, Iowa. Lena spent her childhood on the family farm, working in the fields, milking cows and raising hogs. After graduating from Geneva High School in 1946, she attended the Iowa Teachers College in Cedar Falls, Iowa, graduating in 1950. Lena had a 39-year teaching career in the Cedar Rapids Community School District which began at Franklin High School and ended with 29 years at Jefferson High School. Lena also worked at the Shorewood, Indian House and Sirloin 'N' Brew restaurants as a waitress and hostess. She and her husband, Ronald C. Salven, lived in Marion and raised three children, Tyler, Ronda and Tim. After retiring in 1991, Lena traveled to China, Hong Kong, Switzerland and France. She then kept herself busy by volunteering her cooking talents at both the Lutheran Church of the Resurrection and the American Legion Auxiliary Post 298. The yearly Czech dinner at the American Legion was enjoyed by many. Her last few years were filled with much deserved relaxation, watching the St. Louis Cardinals baseball and the Iowa Hawkeye football and basketball games, and playing countless card games. Her favorites included bridge, euchre, and hand and foot. She enjoyed decorating her home with a colorful style that was both comfortable and pleasing to all who visited. Lena's passion for a job well done, her direct but laid-back style, and her sense of humor are what made Lena the woman and mom we will always remember. She is survived by her children, Tyler Salven of Marion, Ronda (Jeff) Powers of Dubuque and Tim Salven of Cedar Rapids; grandchildren, Jennifer, Justin, and Jeremy Powers of Dubuque; great-grandchild, Adalyn of Dubuque; sister, Gertrude Himan of Ames; brother, George (Donna) Abbas of Hampton; brother, Bob (Ilene) Abbas of Hampton; sister-in-law, Dorothy Abbas of Hampton; and many nieces and nephews. Lena was preceded in death by her parents; stepmother, Hiske Abbas; her sister and brother-in-law, Arlene and Donald Horner; brother, Bud Abbas; brother-in-law, Leland Himan; sister and brother-in-law, Norma and Roger Palmer; and infant sister, Helen Marie. Lena's children would like to thank the staff at the Dennis and Donna Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy for the dignified and compassionate care they provided. Memorials may be directed to Lutheran Church of the Resurrection in Marion, Iowa, and the American Legion Auxiliary Post 298 in Marion, Iowa.