Lena Mae VanDePol

August 4, 1924 - September 3, 2010

Lena Mae (Allsup) VanDePol was born on August 4, 1924, to Floyd Franklin and Mary Allena (Hackley) Allsup in Rose Hill, Iowa, and died on September 3, 2010, at Altoona Nursing and Rehabilitation in Altoona, Iowa. She attended school in Oskaloosa, White Oak, and Cedar, graduating as valedictorian at Cedar High School in 1942. She attended Wright Community Church, Hedrick United Methodist and Hedrick Christian Churches. Stanley Richard VanDePol married Lena Mae on May 23, 1942, in Junction City, Kansas, where Stanley’s brother, Robert, was stationed with the United States Army. They raised three boys on a farm near Hedrick and spent over 30 years in Fremont. They lived for five years in Oskaloosa before moving in 2006 to the nursing home in Altoona. She spent years being the “typical” farm-wife, sometimes helping in the field, preparing meals for the workers, tending a large garden and canning the produce, raising chickens and selling the eggs. Nobody enjoys their home more than Lena Mae did and she was forever decorating and making it welcoming to relatives and friends. Lena Mae was a hot lunch worker at Hedrick Community School and also worked at the Hedrick Y Café, Fremont Gazette, Graham’s Department Store in Ottumwa, and especially enjoyed her 27 years as an Avon representative. She was a member of Avon’s President’s Club and Honor Society and was proud of those accomplishments. She and Stanley operated the Wagon Wheel Café in Fremont in the mid 1970’s. Her favorite thing was time spent with her boys, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Lena Mae is survived by her three sons, Ronald Lee (Lyn) of Ankeny, Terry Lane (Mary) of Altoona, and Stanley Alan (Rose Lee Richards) of Lexington, Kentucky; five grandchildren, Bret and Mark (Tina) of Ankeny, Kurt (Angee) of Spring Hill, Kansas, Kent (Sara) of Tea, South Dakota, and Kelly (Jon) Anonson of Ankeny; 14 great-grandchildren and one step-great-grandchild. She was preceded in death by Stanley in December, 2006, her parents, step-father, George Dewey Ladley, step-mother, Margaret Fern (Lott) Allsup, sister, Mary Lucille (Bill) Barnard, great-grandson Braden Lane VanDePol, and granddaughter-in-law, Tracy (Carle) VanDePol. Memorial contributions may be directed to Iowa Hospice, 5650 NW Johnston Drive, Johnston, Iowa 50131, or Altoona Nursing and Rehabilitation, 200 7th Avenue SW, Altoona, Iowa 50009. There are no services planned at this time. Burial of the cremains will take place at a later date. Fremont Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements.