Wilfred Ocken

Wilfred Ocken, age 87 of Carroll, died Tuesday, April 05, 2011 at St. Anthony Regional Hospital in Carroll. Mass of the Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m., Saturday, April 9, 2011 at Holy Spirit Church in Carroll. The Celebrant will be Fr. Timothy Johnson. Lector for the funeral mass will be Sister Joann Gehling, F.S.P.A. Gift Bearers will be Wilfred’s daughters: Diane Vonnahme, Marilyn Schaefer, and Jolene Riesselman. Eucharistic Ministers will be Diane Vonnahme and Margene Heisterkamp. Casket Bearers will be Wilfred’s grandchildren: Jason Vonnahme, Eric Vonnahme, Julie Podey, Brian Schaefer, Adam Schaefer, Alissa Riesselman, Nick Riesselman, and Austin Riesselman. Burial will be at Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Carroll. Friends may call at the Sharp Funeral Home in Carroll after 3:30 p.m., Friday where there will be a rosary at 4 p.m. and a Christian Wake Service by the parish at 6:30 p.m. The casket will be taken to Holy Spirit Church at 8:30 a.m. Saturday to lie in state until time of the funeral mass. Memorials may be left at the funeral home or the church for Holy Spirit Church, St. Anthony Alzheimer’s Unit, or Prairie Woods of Hiawatha. Born on March 22, 1924 at Arcadia, Iowa, Wilfred J. Ocken was the son of Frank and Catherine (Anstoeter) Ocken. He grew up in the Arcadia community and attended St. John School. On February 19, 1952 he was united in marriage to Rose Gehling at Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Carroll. Wilfred worked for several farmers in the Arcadia area before working at Lange’s Creamery in Carroll for many years. From 1972 until his retirement in 1985 he was employed at Farmland Foods. Wilfred's greatest enjoyment was his family and friends. He was a member of Holy Spirit Parish and Parish Men’s Club. Survivors include his wife Rose Ocken of Carroll; daughters: Diane Vonnahme and her husband Allen of Arcadia, Marilyn Schaefer and her husband Steve of Carroll, and Jolene Riesselman and her husband Gary of Halbur; eight grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; sisters: Dolores Riesselman of Carroll, Agatha (Paul) Sailer of Bayard, and Charlotte Ocken of Omaha, NE; brother, Frank (Ann) Ocken of Omaha, NE; sisters in-law and brothers in-law: Rita Anstoeter of Carroll, Ed (Lorraine) Gehling of Carroll, Bob (JoAnn) Gehling of Carroll, Jim Gehling of Carroll, Sister Joann Gehling F.S.P.A. of Hiawatha, Jerry (Kathy) Gehling of Phoenix, AZ, Ed (Bonnie) Rasmussen of Newton, Linda Gehling of Carroll, Lillian Gehling of Grand Meadow, MN, and Delores (Bob) Nagl of Carroll, as well as many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Reinildis Venner; brother Norbert Ocken; brothers in-law and sisters in-law: Andrew Venner, Herb Riesselman, George Gehling, Vernon Gehling, Carl Gehling, Norma Rasmussen, Louise Schmitz, Walter Schmitz and Louis Anstoeter.

Wilfred Ocken

March 22, 1924 - April 5, 2011