Lorain Ahrens

LORAIN AHRENS

Elkader

Lorain E. Ahrens, 85, of Mount Pleasant, formerly of Elkader and Volga, died Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2014, at Pleasant Manor Care Center in Mount Pleasant. Her body has been donated to the University of Iowa Department of Anatomy. A graveside memorial service will be at a later date in East Side Cemetery, Elkader. There will be no visitation at Kimzey Funeral Home, 213 N. Main St., Mount Pleasant.

Online condolences may be directed to www.kimzeyfuneralhome.com.

Lorain was born Dec. 18, 1928, in rural Elgin, Iowa, the daughter of George and Louise (Spichalsky) Leuchtenmacher. She attended Highland Township School in Clayton County and graduated from Elkader High School. In 1947, she married Jack Zuercher. The couple later divorced. In 1974, she married Melvin Ahrens. Mr. Ahrens died in 1986.

Lorain worked at Collins Radio in Cedar Rapids and later owned and operated City Cab in Mount Vernon. She later moved to Washington, Iowa, and worked at Advance Ross and later at Vega Industries in Mount Pleasant. Lorain moved to Washington state and Arkansas before returning to Volga,

Iowa. Lorain worked at Alpine Inn in Elkader and Elkader Community Schools before taking disability retirement due to rheumatoid arthritis. In 1999, she moved to Mount Pleasant to be close to her daughter. Since 2006, she has been a resident at Pleasant Manor Care

Center.

Mrs. Ahrens was a member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Volga.

Survivors include two daughters, Georgia (Jackie) Taylor of Des Moines and Jackie (Herb) Quayle of Mount Pleasant; two sons, Forrest (Mona) Zuercher of Georgia and Randy Zuercher of Iowa; four stepdaughters, Arlene Doeppke, Iva Dean Doeppke and LaVonne Meyer, all of Elkader, and Ellen Banse of Cedar Rapids; 10 grandchildren; several stepgrandchildren; numerous great-grandchildren; and one nephew.

Her parents, husband, a brother and a niece preceded Lorain in death.