Jessie Marie Folkerts, 85

Published by editor on Thu, 03/16/2023 - 9:28am

Jessie Marie Folkerts, 85, of Allison, Iowa, passed away Tuesday, March 14, 2023, at her home in Allison.

Funeral services were held at 11:00 a.m., Friday, March 17, 2023, at the Allison Congregational Church in Allison, with burial in the Allison Cemetery. A visitation was held from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., prior to the service at the church on Friday. Counsell Woodley Funeral Home of Allison cared for Jessie and her family.

Jessie was born on December 23, 1937, to George and Grace (Seehusen) DeWitt. They lived south of Allison where she started school. Her family moved to a farm north of Allison where she attended country school until the 8^th grade. Jessie then attended Allison High School and graduated in 1956.

Jessie worked for Shepherd & Shepherd Law Firm in Allison and for Lutheran Mutual in Waverly. On September 15, 1957, she was united in marriage to George Lee Folkerts. To this union four children were born, Barbara, Robert, Joyce and Judy. Merja was welcomed into their family as an exchange student from Finland in 1978-79.

Jessie was active on the family farm while raising their children. She milked cows, gardened and worked in the fields before attending Business Institute of Technology and then worked for Butler County Abstract for several years before retiring.

Jessie was a 4-H leader and Sunday School Teacher. She liked to travel and visited many foreign countries, including Germany where there are still many relatives, and traveled to Australia to visit friends. Jessie loved animals and enjoyed genealogy, her Ostfriesen German Club, helping out her family by cooking, just keeping an eye on the farm, and most of all spending time with her grandkids and great-grandkids.

Jessie is survived by her children, Barbara Sullivan, Robert (Shelley) Folkerts, Joyce (Bill) Dolan, Judy (Larry) Kjellsen, and Merja Tammi, brother, George (Sarah) DeWitt, sister-in-law, Marianne Folkerts, twelve grandchildren, twelve great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, brother-in-law Max Folkerts, and son-in-law Tim Sullivan.

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