Vernal Onken

Vernal William Onken, age 74, of Lidderdale, Iowa, passed away on Wednesday, December 21, 2011 at Shady Oaks Nursing Home in Lake City, Iowa. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 A.M. on Tuesday, December 27, 2011 at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Lidderdale with Pastor William Wiess officiating. Friends may call at the Dahn and Woodhouse Funeral Home in Carroll after 4:00 P.M. on Monday where there will be a prayer service held at 7:00 P.M.. The casket will be moved to the church at 8:30 A.M. on Tuesday where visitation will resume until the time of service. Organist for the service will be Agnes Onken and the congregation will sing “The Old Rugged Cross”, “Nearer My God to Thee”, and “What a Friend We Have In Jesus”. Casket bearers will be Vernal’s grandchildren: Chad Onken, Joel Onken, Lyndsie Kammin, Justin Onken, Jamie Onken, Dan Riskowski, Ryan Pille, and Anthony Riskowski. Burial will be in the Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery near Lidderdale. Born on February 9, 1937 at Carroll, Iowa, he was the son of Arthur and Violia (Arniel) Onken. He grew up in Carroll and attended Immanuel Lutheran School as a boy and graduated from Carroll High School in 1954. He was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Lidderdale. He was married to Bonnie Broich on February 2, 1955 at Sioux City, Iowa. Following their marriage the couple lived on Vernal’s family farm northwest of Lidderdale where they raised their family. He was a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Lidderdale where he served as Trustee and treasurer of the Sunday School for many years. He also served on the board of the Immanuel Lutheran School. Vernal served for six years in the Army Reserves. Vernal was a lifelong farmer and in his spare time he enjoyed hunting, going to sales and auctions, and feeding cattle. Surviving are his wife Bonnie of Lidderdale; two daughters: Robin Riskowski and her husband Joe of Omaha, Nebraska, and Rhonda Lewis and her husband Rod of Carroll; a son Rick Onken and his wife Vicki of Lidderdale; eight grandchildren; two step grandchildren; ten great grandchildren; seven step great grandchildren; a sister-in-law Lucille Onken of Lidderdale; a brother-in-law Jack Hembree of Lakewood, Washington; and several nieces, nephews, and cousins. Vernal was preceded in death by his parents, his mother and father-in-law, two brothers: Virgil and Valjean, and three sisters: Virginia Hembree, Volet Knute and her husband Vern, and Vernette and Ken Hermann.