Kathryn Hawks Erps

Kathryn (Jacobsen) Hawks Erps, age 97, of Ankeny, Iowa, formerly of Nemaha, and Carroll, Iowa, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on April 23, 2025, at Mill Pond Care Center in Ankeny.

Funeral services will be held at 1:00 P.M. on Saturday, May 3, 2025, at St. John Lutheran Church in Carroll with Rev. Cindy Johnson officiating.  Pianist for the service will be Nancy Davis.  Casket bearers will be Dave Flemmer, Dylan Coon, Adam Whisney, James Brookes, Avery Flemmer, Nolan Brookes, and Graham Brookes. Burial will be held at 3:30 P.M. on Saturday at the Ferguson Cemetery near Lake View.

Visitation will be held at St. John Lutheran Church in Carroll from 12 – 12:45 P.M. on Saturday prior to the service.

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Dahn and Woodhouse Funeral Home in Carroll and online condolences may be left for the family at www.dahnandwoodhouse.com

Kathryn Virginia Jacobsen was born on December 8, 1927, to John and Emily (Swanson) Jacobsen on a farm north of Lake View, Iowa.  She grew up on that farm along with her two older brothers, Douglas and Donald.  Following her graduation from Lake View High School in May of 1945, she attended Buena Vista College in Storm Lake, Iowa, and completed her two-year teaching certificate in May of 1947.  She later completed her bachelor’s degree at Buena Vista in January of 1973.  Kathryn had a long and successful career as an elementary and junior high teacher starting in a one room schoolhouse in Sac County and moving on to teach in Early, Iowa.  Most of her career was spent teaching in the elementary in Nemaha for the Crestland Community School District.  She culminated her career teaching middle school social studies at Schaller-Crestland.

On December 19, 1948, Kathryn married Harold Hawks at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Sac City, Iowa.  They made their home on a farm near Nemaha, Iowa, and were blessed with three children, Edward, Kay, and Gayle.  Following Harold’s unexpected death in September of 1987, Kathryn later married Dr. William (Bill) Erps in July of 1990.  They lived on the farm near Nemaha until 1999 when they moved to Carroll, Iowa. Bill passed away in September of 2013.

Kathryn’s favorite childhood memories included riding their Shetland pony named Buster, sledding down nearby hills during the winter with neighbor children, and playing circus with their pet dog and cats until the pets grew tired of being “wild animals” and ran away to the barn.  As a teenager, she enjoyed going to dances at the Lakewood Ballroom in Lake View and the Cobblestone Ballroom in Storm Lake.  One of her favorite dance memories was seeing Lawrence Welk perform in Carroll.  Her love of dancing continued well into her retirement.

Kathryn was a devoted, kind, and compassionate wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.  She loved her family and spending time with them brought her a tremendous amount of joy. Kathryn was a loyal friend to many and made people feel at ease.  Some of her happiest moments were spent in the company of family and friends, where laughter flowed as easily as conversation.  Whether it was sharing stories around the dinner table, recalling old memories, or finding humor in everyday life, she had a way of bringing people together.  She was also dedicated to her Lutheran faith and a caring teacher who had a long-lasting positive impact on many of her students.

The family thanks Mill Pond Care Center for the first-rate care that she received these past two years, and recently St. Croix Hospice for their compassion.

Left to cherish her memory are children Edward (Jane) Hawks, Kay (Dwight) Flemmer, and Gayle (Scott) Coon; grandchildren Jennifer Hawks, David (Erin) Flemmer, Valerie (James) Brookes, Madison (Adam) Whisney, and Dylan Coon; great-grandchildren Emma and Kate Peterman, Avery and Reagan Flemmer, Nolan and Graham Brookes, and Sadie, Roxanne, and Hank Whisney; step children Diane Erps, Don (Julie) Erps, Doug (Brenda) Erps, Doreen Erps Wyatt, David (Jalyn) Erps; step grandchildren Jennifer (Justin) Harding and family, Michael (Anne) Erps and family, Heather (Zach) Danke and family, Kayla Erps (Tirrell Brooks), Amanda Erps, Connor Erps, and Brody Erps; as well as numerous friends and other relatives. She was preceded in death by her first husband, Harold Hawks and second husband, Bill Erps, her parents, John and Emily Jacobsen; her brothers, Doug and Don Jacobsen, and Doug’s wife Mary Jacobsen, and Don’s wife Mary Jacobsen.