- Born on: November 7, 1925
- Departed on: July 3, 2017
- Resided in: Sheffield, IA
Laura Ellen Froning
Laura Ellen Froning, 91, of Sheffield, IA, passed away on Monday, July 3, 2017, at Sheffield Care Center.
Memorial service and celebration of life will be announced at a later date.
Laura Ellen Markwardt was born to Lester William Markwardt and Elizabeth Jane (Nicholson) Markwardt on November 7, 1925, on a farm near Thornton, Iowa. She was the youngest of their 5 children. She went to school at Chapin and graduated from Thornton High School. While in high school she was selected as Regatta Queen during Governor’s Day at Clear Lake, IA. She was presented with a fifty dollar war bond and was pictured with Guy Lombardo and Gov. George Wilson in the paper. She attended cosmetology school after high school.
Laura married her high school sweetheart Warren Earl Froning on June 1, 1946. To this happy marriage 4 children were born, Bruce Warren, Jane Amber, Jill Ellen, and Thomas William. Laura and Warren spent most of their life farming. They farmed with both parents and continued this after purchasing their own farm in 1961.
Laura’s legacy is her devotion to family and her love of nature. Laura was an avid gardener and preservationist. She was ahead of her time in efforts to protect wildflowers, butterflies, birds, and bees. She campaigned to limit spraying of ditches in Iowa. She worked diligently to plant butterfly host plants in gardens around North Iowa. She was a charter member of the Swaledale Federated Garden Club started in 1957. She held all offices in the club. She was a state life member, Master Judge, and Iowa State Wildflower Chairman. Laura and Warren spent their leisure time dancing, golfing, traveling and camping with friends and family.
Laura was preceded in death by her husband Warren in 2006; her sons Bruce and Thomas; her parents Lester and Lizzie; her siblings Harold, Howard, Leonard, and Edna.
Those left to cherish her memory are her daughters: Jill and James Berg, Jane and Robert Killpack both of Albert Lea, MN; grandchildren: Peter Jensen of Boone, IA, Jennifer Worley and husband Amber Thompson of Minneapolis, Elizabeth Berg of Minneapolis, Ethan and Stephanie Berg of Otley, IA, Stacy and Chuck Winchester of Lexington, KY, and Amanda Froning; and great-grandchildren: Christian Harden,Treighton Dyllan Lyli
For anyone wishing to express their sympathy, please consider donations or efforts to wildflower, butterfly, bird and bee preservation.
Memorial service and celebration of life will be announced at a later date.
Laura Ellen Markwardt was born to Lester William Markwardt and Elizabeth Jane (Nicholson) Markwardt on November 7, 1925, on a farm near Thornton, Iowa. She was the youngest of their 5 children. She went to school at Chapin and graduated from Thornton High School. While in high school she was selected as Regatta Queen during Governor’s Day at Clear Lake, IA. She was presented with a fifty dollar war bond and was pictured with Guy Lombardo and Gov. George Wilson in the paper. She attended cosmetology school after high school.
Laura married her high school sweetheart Warren Earl Froning on June 1, 1946. To this happy marriage 4 children were born, Bruce Warren, Jane Amber, Jill Ellen, and Thomas William. Laura and Warren spent most of their life farming. They farmed with both parents and continued this after purchasing their own farm in 1961.
Laura’s legacy is her devotion to family and her love of nature. Laura was an avid gardener and preservationist. She was ahead of her time in efforts to protect wildflowers, butterflies, birds, and bees. She campaigned to limit spraying of ditches in Iowa. She worked diligently to plant butterfly host plants in gardens around North Iowa. She was a charter member of the Swaledale Federated Garden Club started in 1957. She held all offices in the club. She was a state life member, Master Judge, and Iowa State Wildflower Chairman. Laura and Warren spent their leisure time dancing, golfing, traveling and camping with friends and family.
Laura was preceded in death by her husband Warren in 2006; her sons Bruce and Thomas; her parents Lester and Lizzie; her siblings Harold, Howard, Leonard, and Edna.
Those left to cherish her memory are her daughters: Jill and James Berg, Jane and Robert Killpack both of Albert Lea, MN; grandchildren: Peter Jensen of Boone, IA, Jennifer Worley and husband Amber Thompson of Minneapolis, Elizabeth Berg of Minneapolis, Ethan and Stephanie Berg of Otley, IA, Stacy and Chuck Winchester of Lexington, KY, and Amanda Froning; and great-grandchildren: Christian Harden,
For anyone wishing to express their sympathy, please consider donations or efforts to wildflower, butterfly, bird and bee preservation.
