Erlene Fett

Erlene Clara Fett, longtime resident of the Adair and Atlantic, Iowa, areas, passed away at 11:20 a.m. on Sunday, January 17, 2016, at the Heritage House in Atlantic.

The daughter of Fred W. and Mary J. (Vokt) Fett, Erlene was born September 29, 1924, at her farm home north of Adair in Grant Township, Guthrie County. She attended rural school in Grant Township and graduated from Adair High School in 1941. She began a teaching career, having received normal training in high school, at Summit Center in Adair County in 1942.

Each summer, beginning in 1943, she took college courses in education from UNI, Cedar Falls, Iowa, and Drake University in Des Moines. College credits were also earned on summer trips around the world, Western and Eastern Europe, China and Africa. Night classes, correspondence courses, and TV classes all led to a B.A. degree from Iowa State Teachers' College in Cedar Falls on August 7, 1958, and a M.S. degree from Drake University on August 23, 1963.

In 1945 she took the position of junior high teacher in Wiota Consolidated School in Wiota, IA. From 1952 until retiring in 1986 she taught in the Atlantic Community Schools, Atlantic, IA. She then worked for seven years at the Adair Community Health Center, Adair, IA.

Erlene was baptized and confirmed at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Adair, IA. At Immanuel, she served as church historian, Sunday school teacher and Superintendent, was a member of LWML, and took care of the tape ministry. She was a member of Adair Civic League and a life member of Iowa Retired School Personnel Association.

Erlene is survived by her sister-in-law, Verna Fett of Guthrie Center, IA; nieces, Darlene Fett of Vermillion, SD, Karen Fett Shinn and husband Gordon of Knoxville, IA, Cheryl Siebrass and husband Wesley of Springfield, IL, and Sandra Mickle of Adair, IA; nephews, Ervin Fett and wife Shari of Ankeny, IA, Arland Petersen of Des Moines, IA and Milton Petersen of Savannah, GA; grand nieces and nephews, Keith Shimp, Matthew Mickle, Aaron Siebrass, Keralyn Siebrass, and Amy Fett and daughter Madison.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her brother, Emerson; and sisters, Ruth Fett and Eleonora (Fett) Petersen.

A visitation with the family will be from 10:00 - 11:00 a.m., with a funeral at 11:00 a.m. Friday, January 22, 2016, at the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Adair, IA.

Burial will be in the Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery in Adair, IA.

A time for fellowship with friends and family will be at a luncheon at the church fellowship hall.