Elna M. Kuecker, 91 , of Tripoli, died Tuesday, November 5, 2019, at Tripoli Nursing & Rehab.
Funeral services will be held at Grace Lutheran Church in Tripoli on Saturday, November 9, 2019, at 10:30 AM with Rev. Dennis Niezwaag officiating. Interment will follow at Grace Lutheran Church Cemetery, rural Tripoli. Visitation will be held from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM on Friday, November 8th and for one hour preceding the services at the church on Saturday.
Elna Marie Bertha, daughter of Edward and Katherine (Fehring) Bergmann was born, July 29, 1928, in Douglas Township, Bremer County Iowa. She was baptized on August 31, 1928, at St. John's Lutheran Church-Western Douglas and confirmed on April 26, 1942, at St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Grove Hill. Elna received her early education in the rural Bremer County Country Schools prior to attending Sumner and Tripoli High Schools, and would later receive her G.E.D. On August 4,, 1946, she was united in marriage with Ervin Kuecker at St. John Lutheran Church-Buck Creek, rural Sumner. To this union seven children were born, Allen, Roger, Larry, Lowell, Danny, JoAnn, and Lynn. The couple farmed northwest of Tripoli for eleven years prior to moving to Tripoli in 1958. Elna worked as a demonstrator for Furst-McNess Company for six years before starting her career at the Tripoli Nursing Home. She worked as a certified medical aide and certified nurses' aide at the Tripoli Nursing Home for twenty-seven years, before retiring in 1993. After retiring, Elna starting volunteering for Bremer County Hospice, V.F.W. Auxiliary, and the Tripoli Library. Elna was a long time member of Grace Lutheran Church in Tripoli, where she was very active in Altar Guild. She and her husband, Ervin loved traveling, as their travels took them to forty eight states, Canada, and Mexico. Elna's love for travel continued after Ervin's death occurred in 1989, when she and her daughter, JoAnn took a trip to Germany for two weeks. She also enjoyed golfing, bowling, and dancing.
Elna is survived by her six children, Roger (Kathy) Kuecker of Denver, Larry (Carol) Kuecker of Waverly, Lowell (Debra) Kuecker of Readlyn, Danny (Julie) Kuecker of Ames, JoAnn (Mark) Volker of Fredericksburg, and Lynn (Kathleen) Kuecker of Huxley; twenty-three grandchildren; fifty-four great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild; and several nieces, nephews, and their families.
In addition to her parents, and husband, Ervin, she was preceded in death by her son, Allen in 2011; two sisters Clara Bergmann and Viola Young and her husband; and several brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law.