Eldon Dieken

Eldon Richard Dieken, 92, of Grundy Center, Iowa passed away on the morning of Friday, April 23, 2021 at Grundy County Memorial Hospital.

Funeral services for Eldon will be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, April 27 at Essential Instruction (formerly, Lincoln Center) Church located at 18901 Q Ave, Grundy Center, IA 50638. Public visitation will be held from 9:30 a.m. until services begin. Following the funeral, Eldon will be laid to rest at the Lincoln Township Cemetery right next to the church. Memorial contributions may be directed in Eldon’s name to his family to later be donated. For further information or to send condolences, please, visit www.abelsfuneralhomes.com or call 319-824-3319. Engelkes Abels Funeral Home is caring for Eldon and his family.

Eldon Richard Dieken, was born on June 16, 1928 in rural Grundy Center. The son of Heye and Marie (Uschkrat) Dieken, he was raised in Lincoln township, attended country school, and graduated from Dike High School with the class of 1946. Following graduation, he attended one semester at Teachers College (UNI) in Cedar Falls. He proudly carried on the family legacy as the third-generation farmer on the Dieken farmstead.

On June 20, 1951, Eldon was united in marriage to the love of his life, Elna Urup at Lincoln Center Christian Reformed Church in Grundy Center. From this union, the couple was blessed with four children: Brenda, Belinda, Bonita and Randy.

Eldon was a hard working man who loved to farm. You could find him driving most days: whether that be a tractor on the farm (even at age 89), a snowmobile on an adventure with Elna, or out on the road either driving a truck or delivering a motorhome.

Left to cherish his memory are his loving wife, Elna; their children—Brenda (Randy) Chase of Lemon Grove, California; Belinda (Jim) Geertsma of Grand Rapids, Michigan; Bonita (Shan) Davis of rural Grundy Center; and Randy (Angie) Dieken of Dike—14 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren (with more on the way); as well as several nieces and nephews.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Heye and Marie Dieken; one brother, Willis; one sister, LeAnn; father and mother-in-law Vilhelm and Kamma Urup; siblings-in-law, Agnes Riebkes and Grethe and Cliff Gauger.