Ivan W. Walker

Ivan W. Walker, 87, of Newton passed from this life on his birthday Saturday afternoon, July 19, 2008, in the Monarch Wing of Skiff Medical Center in Newton. Funeral services for Ivan will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 23, 2008, at the Pence-Reese Funeral Home in Newton with Pastor Dustin Black officiating. Burial will be at Newton Union Cemetery with military rites. Friends may call from 1 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 22, at the funeral home, where the family will be present from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Memorials may be designated in Ivan’s name to the Hospice of Jasper County Monarch Wing or to the Newton Foursquare Church. The son of John William and Della Pearl (Hitchler) Walker, Ivan Will Walker was born July 19, 1921, in White Owl, S.D. He attended rural schools in Jasper County and served his country as a medic with the U.S. Army from 1942 to 1945. He was deployed to the European Theatre during World War II, where he drove an ambulance across many battlefields, including the Battle of the Bulge. Ivan lived in the Newton area most of his life. He was employed by the Maytag Company for 30 years, retiring from the dishwasher department, and was self-employed as a TV repairman, installing antennas in Newton. On Aug. 25, 1946, Ivan was united in marriage with Ramah Juanita Pherigo in Hiawatha, Kan. They lived in Newton, moving to Rock Creek for 10 years, living in a home Ivan built. They moved back to Newton in 1986 and were members of the Newton Foursquare Church. After retirement, he worked for VanGorp Construction and then the Colfax Home Video. He was a life member of the Newton V.F.W. Post #1655, enjoyed his family, reading, car repair, rebuilding Volkswagens, electronics repair, coaching Babe Ruth baseball, playing cards and spending winters in Zapata, Texas. Those left to honor Ivan’s memory include his wife, Ramah of Newton; a son, Chuck (Linda) Walker of Newton; three daughters, Alice (Bill) Pendleton, Deena (Ken) Lamb and Judy (David) Shedlock, all of Newton; his 14 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren; a sister, Roberta (Jim) Barkley of Wichita, Kan.; many nieces, nephews and cousins; and his many good neighbors and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; a son in infancy, Billy; and five sisters, Odetha Schnathorst, Alise Lawson, LaVera Eaton, Yvonna Anderson and Della Moore.*