Letha Carolyn Genter

Letha Carolyn (Roberts) Genter of Carroll and formerly of Glidden passed away on Wednesday, July 2, 2014 at the Carroll Health Center Nursing Home in Carroll. A Celebration of Letha’s Life will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Friday, July 18, 2014 at the Glidden United Methodist Church with Rev. Lorinda Hoover officiating. Visitation will be held at the church for one hour prior to the service. Organist for the service will be Mary Ross and soloist will be Rick Tegeler. Burial will be in the Merle Hay Memorial Cemetery near Glidden. In lieu of flowers the family suggests memorials be made to the Glidden United Methodist Church or Gentiva Hospice (formerly Iowa Hospice). Born on October 8, 1912 in McClare, Colorado, she was the daughter of Laura (DeWees) Roberts and Clarence Roberts. She lived in eastern Colorado until she was 11 years old where her family was homesteading. The family then moved to Iowa where her parents had originally lived. Letha attended country school until 7th grade. She graduated from Glidden high school in 1930 and went one year to Business College in Des Moines. She married Robert Genter on April 25, 1935 at her parents’ home in Glidden. The couple lived in Blue Island, Illinois for 10 years where Mr. Genter was a food chemist for Libby Canning Company. They returned to the Genter farm north of Glidden in early 1944, where they made their home until moving into Glidden in 1985. Mrs. Genter moved to Westwood Knolls in Carroll in 1993 to be near her husband Robert who was in Carroll Health Center. She was a member of Glidden M.E. Church. She taught Sunday School, sang in the church choir and was active in the UMW. She also was active in 4-H work and Carroll Co. Extension. Letha was Chairman of the Family Living Committee and, as a result of her work, she was selected Carroll County Homemaker of the Year for 1958. She was also active in the Carroll County Republican Women. She enjoyed reading and did lots of knitting and crocheting, making sweaters and afghans for family and friends. She enjoyed playing bridge, and she and husband Bob were members of the “Saturnite Club” for many years. Letha played bridge and pinochle well into her 90s. She was preceded in death by her parents Clarence M. Roberts and Laura M. DeWees Roberts, husband Robert, son-in-law William Steigerwalt, granddaughter Dawn Genter-Ashby, brother Gerald Roberts, sister Pauline MacDonald, brother-in-law Maurice MacDonald, sister-in-law Jean (Genter) Fodor and brother-in-law Mike Fodor. Letha is survived by her children Ronald (Janet) Genter, Patricia Steigerwalt, James (Janet) Genter; nine grandchildren; two step-grandsons; 23 great-grandchildren; one step great-granddaughter; four great great-grandchildren; three nieces and a nephew.