Rolfe  -- Ellen Kirchner, 92, of Rolfe, passed away Friday, January 24, 2003, at the Palo Alto County Hospital in Emmetsburg.

Burial will be in Essex, Illinois. Memorial services will be held at the Hope United Methodist Church in Pocahontas in the spring.

Mrs. Kirchner is survived by her daughter Jane Kirchner of Rolfe; five grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. She was preceded in death by her parents, Matt and Bridgett (Smith) Flaherty; husband George; son Gene Kirchner; daughter Betty Morrison; sisters, Lauretta Meyer, Alice Hynes and Louise Bartosh; brothers, Lee, Walt, and Ted Flaherty; and two infant brothers.

ELLEN KIRCHNER

Rolfe - Memorial services for Ellen Kirchner, 92, of Rolfe were held Monday, March 17, 2003, at Hope United Methodist in Pocahontas with the Rev. Thorne Wittstruck officiating. Burial will be later in Essex, Illinois.

Mrs. Kirchner passed away January 24, 2003, at the Palo Alto County Hospital in Emmetsburg.

Surviving is her daughter Jane Kirchner of Rolfe; five grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. She was preceded in death by her parents, Matt and Bridget (Smith) Flaherty; husband, George; son, Gene Kirchner; daughter, Betty Morrison; sisters, Lauretta Meyer, Alice Hynes, and Louise Bartosh; brothers, Lee, Ted, and Walt Flaherty and two infant brothers.

Ellen Veronica Flaherty was born on September 8, 1910, at Pocahontas. She attended county schools. Following her education, she helped her parents on the family farm and worked for neighboring families who needed help with small children or when there was illness. It was when she went to work for a neighbor who had had a heart attack, that she met her employer's son, George Kirchner. They were married on April 22, 1929, and farmed near Pocahontas until 1967 when they moved into Pocahontas due to George's ill health.

Ellen was a member of the Hope United Methodist Church, where she taught Sunday School for 32 years, and sang in the choir, was a member of the Scarlet Rebecca Lodge, where she held several offices including Noble Grand; and sang in the Pocahontas Community Chorus until moving to Rolfe in 1972. She was a member of the first Pocahontas Hospital Auxiliary, and enjoyed participating in many church and community activities. During the Pocahontas Centennial in 1970, she won first prize for the "most authentic outfit" at the centennial fashion show.

She also enjoyed playing cards with the neighborhood "Just Us" Club during her years on the farm.

She always worked with her husband on the farm, and in 1955 began working in Pocahontas, also. She was employed at the Ben Franklin store, Riverside Foral, The Chief Motel, and as secretary at the United Methodist Church in Pocahontas. She is best remembered for her many years at Anthony's Department store where she helped many Pocahontas County homemakers and their daughters with their sewing projects, and was given the name "Mrs. Anthony" by some of her customer's small children.

She retired from Anthony's and enjoyed gardening, traveling, and her many friends. She didn't like to stay idle for long and came out of retirement three times to go back to work at the Chuckwagon Cafe in Rolfe, for attorney Rodney Hudson, and for Upper Des Moines Opportunity in Pocahontas from which she retired permanently in 1993.

She spent the next year painting her home and outbuildings, then continued to enjoy her home, church activities, and friends until her health began to decline in 1997.

Her daughter lived with her and cared for her and they spent the last five years as flea market dealers- and working for the Isabel Burke Taffy Company at the Iowa State Fair and the Clay County Fair.