Florence Geraldine Lenocker

Honored by:Linda Bobst
Brick location:A:24  map

Florence Geraldine Lenocker daughter of George Albert and Olga Marie (Jensen) Wells was born on September 11, 1907 at their country home south of Exira, Iowa and passed away at the Guthrie County Hospital on Tuesday September 1, 1998 at the age of 90 years 11 months and 20 days. With the exception of 3 years spent with her family in Cudworth, Canada and a short time as a young girl at rural Winterset she spent her entire lifetime in the Dexter area where she graduated from Dexter Public School in 1926.

Due to declining health Florence moved form her home south of Dexter on December 31, 1996. Florence was a loving and devoted wife and mother. High spirited bubbling with energy and full of enthusiasm for life she provided a nurturing and supportive environment for the development and well-being of her family. Florence delighted in having loved ones surrounding her. Her lovely country home was the spot where family and friends settled in comfortably to Florence's delicious home-cooked meals or a cup of coffee with body and her trademark sugared doughnuts.

Visitors could possibly expect to top things off with a nice little chat or better yet a lively conversation touching quite possibly on politics or the affairs of the world--which to Florence was food for the soul! Florence's love of the land and the outdoors was strongly evident in her lifestyle. She was a contributing force in the family operation of the TeLinDaLee grain and livestock farm in Penn Township.

Florence was involved in raising, feeding and showing cattle and contributed much time and energy to the development of a noteworthy herd of purebred Red Angus Cattle. She was honored as Iowa Outstanding Cowbelle by the Iowa Cowbelle Association in 1981. Florence pursued her love for horses through riding for pleasure the show ring and breeding Quarter Horses and Appaloosas. She especially enjoyed the thrill of seeing her favorite Quarter Horse win a good horse race!

Each summer the homestead of TeLinDaLee became a blaze of color with beautiful flower gardens that Florence lovingly put in place and cultivated in her spare time. Her bountiful vegetable garden was a source of produce for the tables of friends and family. Through the years Florence enjoyed spending time with friends as they gathered for an afternoon of league bowling in Winterset or the various rehearsals involved in a performance of the Community Theatre The Apple Tree Players. She loved to tap dance (could execute a mean time step) and enjoyed the time she spent on the set of the movie "Cold Turkey" as an extra.

Florence was a member of the Dexter United Methodist Church. A past member of the United Methodist women The Dexter Garden Club Iowa Cowbelles Association Madison County Cowbelles the National the Midwest and the Iowa Red Angus Associations Apple Tree Players and Thursday Tea League Bowlers.

Florence was preceded in death by her parents, husband, 1 grandson, 4 brothers and 2 sisters. She leaves to celebrate her life 4 children, 12 grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren, 3 great-great grandchildren and a host of other family and friends.

7/27/00