Varel E. Dodge

Varel E. Dodge, son of Grover Dodge and Ruby (Kerkmann) Dodge was born on August 22, 1920 in Massena, Iowa. He entered eternal rest on Friday, March 21, 2014 at the Clearview Nursing Home in Clearfield, Iowa at the age of 93 years and 7 months.
Varel attended rural school in Lincoln Township .He grew up south of Massena later moving to Mt Etna and to the Lincoln Center area. He spent most of his life in Adams County with the last four years being at the Clearview Nursing Home in Clearfield, Iowa. He served his country in the Army during WWII and was honorably discharged in 1946. He was a member of the United Church of Christ in Prescott, Christian Church in Red Oak, Prescott American Legion and Iowa Democratic Party. Varel was a partner in the Ford dealership in Corning. He served on the Adams County Board of Supervisors and served as relief Post Master in Prescott. For 28 years, Varel decorated the veterans’ graves with flags at Summit Cemetery and Stringtown Cemetery on behalf of the Prescott American Legion.
On August 18, 1946 Varel was united in marriage to Zola Ethel Rogers of Mt Etna, IA. He and Zola purchased a farm east of Prescott. He took great pride in his closed herd of S.P.F. breeding stock. They lived there for 30 years raising their four children. Zola passed away in May 1979 . On May 22, 1982 he was united in marriage to Betty Patrick of Buffalo, MO and later divorced. He married Ernestine Wood November 26, 1989 in Red Oak.
Left to cherish Varel’s memory are his children: Diane (Douglas) Brown of Corning; Hollis (Patricia) Dodge of Creston; Pattie Dodge ( significant other Mark Crill) of Irvine, CA; and Susan (Patrick) Miller of Creston, IA; 9 grandchildren; 9 great grandchildren; sisters, Helen Preston of Corning, IA, Dorothy McCune of Audubon, IA and Joan ( Dean ) Windom of Bethany, Mo; nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
Varel was preceded in death by his parents; wives: Zola and Ernestine and sister, Joye Ryan.