SUMNER - Irma E. Laabs, 82, Sumner, died Thursday, May 25 at Grandview Nursing Care Center in Oelwein.

Funeral services were 2 .m. Sunday, May 28 at St. eter's Lutheran Cnurch-Rich-field, rural Sumner, with Rev. Milton Johnson presiding. Organist was Eva Mae Niewoehner, accompanying the congregational singing or Lift High the Cross", now Great Thou Art" and "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling".

Interment was in Richfield Cemetery, rural Sumner with Mark Schmidt, Carlyle Schmidt, Michael Richmond, Daryl Jones, Lance LaRue, Brody Laabs, Monica Howe, Jason Laabs, Amy Howe and Jodie Laabs as casket bearers.

Flower Committee was Earlene Niewoehner and Donna Manweiler.

Visitation was Saturday, May 27 from 4-8 p*m. at Becker-Milnes Funeral Home in Sumner and for one hour preceding services at the church on Sunday.

Irma Emma, daughter of Louis F. and Clara (Blasberg) Boldt, was born Oct. 12,1917 at Readlyn. She was baptized Oct. 28, 1917 at Zion Lutheran Church in Readlyn and confirmed March 29, 1931 at St. Johnstown, WI. At the age of three she.moved with her parents to a farm near Edgar, WI. She returned to Iowa in 1933 and worked for Art Borcherding until 1941. On Jan. 1, 1941, she was united in marriage with Carl F. Laabs, A member of St. Peter's Lutheran Church-Richfield since her marriage, Irma served in many offices with the church. She was also a longtime member of the Farm Bureau. She worked for a time as a nurse’s aid at the Sumner Hospital, but spent most of her years as a homemaker for her family.

Surviving are two sons, Roger (Donna) Laabs, Sumner and David (Bee) Laabs, Clarion; three daughters, Judy Laabs, Randalia, Janyce (Clem) Howe, Seguin, TX and Elaine Richmond, Sumner; 11 grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; two sisters, Dorothy Dallman, Marshfield, WI and Elda Marvin, Colfax, WI.

Preceding her in death were her husband, Carl on Dec. 15, 1998; her parents; one son-in-law, Ron Richmond; three sisters, Gertrude, Elfreda and Ruth; two brothers, Fritz and Arnold.

Source: New Hampton Tribune May 30, 2000 from the Elma library collection assembled by Marian (Marr) McGee, Transcribed by ABBYY FineReader® 12, Adapted to the web by Bill Waters