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Rachel Kelchen
RACHEL KELCHEN
Dyersville
Rachel M. Kelchen, 96, of Worthington, formerly of Dyersville, died Sunday, Feb. 15, 2015, at Shady Rest Care Center, Cascade. Friends may call from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 18, at Kramer Funeral Home, 750 12th Ave. SW, Dyersville, where a parish vigil service will be held at 4 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 19, at St. Francis Xavier Basilica in Dyersville with burial in St. Paul Cemetery, Worthington. The Rev. Dennis Quint will officiate with her nephew, Deacon Joe Schockemoehl, assisting.
Rachel was born May 31, 1918, in Worthington, Iowa, the daughter of Frank and Ida (Greif) Schockemoehl. She was a 1935 graduate of St. Paul High School and she attended summer school for two years at the University of Dubuque for a teaching certificate. Rachel taught grades one through eight for two years from 1936 to 1938 at rural Worthington timber school, south of Worthington. She married Raymond J. Kelchen on Feb. 14, 1938, in Worthington. Together they farmed until their retirement in 1968. Rachel was a homemaker who enjoyed cooking, sewing, gardening and in later years she enjoyed reading, family get togethers and playing cards with her friends. She was a volunteer at the Dyer Doll House and secretary for Friends of the Library in Dyersville. Rachel was a member of St. Francis Xavier Parish.
Survivors include one daughter, Janice (Alfred) Meyers of Worthington; three grandchildren, Connie (Alan) Kramer and Paul (Mindy) Meyers, both of Farley, and Jane (Russ) Boffeli of Cascade; seven great-grandchildren, Kyle, Madeline and Lauren Kramer, Chloe and Hunter Meyers, Lidia and Ben Boffeli; in-laws, Pat Holub of Central City, Mary Ostwinkle of Epworth, Ella Gross and Lucille Kelchen of Cascade; along with many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Frank and Ida Schockemoehl; her husband, Raymond on Dec. 3, 1990; two sons in infancy; and siblings, Laura Schockemoehl, Marion (Nicholas) Radloff, Stella (Joseph) Comer, LaVerne (Stanley) Holub, Harold (Florence) Schockemoehl, Harriet (Samuel) Knepper, Grace (Marvin) Hirtz-Hinrichs and William (Magdalen) Schockemoehl.
Online condolences may be left for the family at www.kramerfuneral.com.
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