Lenora McCollum

Lenora McCollum, 95, of Fort Dodge, passed away September 15, at the Fort Dodge Villa Care Center. Services will be 12:30 p.m. September 20 at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church with Rev. Lyle Hansen and Rev. Darrel Matthews officiating. Burial will be in the Dawson Township Cemetery rural Paton. Visitation will be from 10:00 a.m. September 20 with a luncheon served at 11:30 a.m. until the time of service September 20 at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. The Gunderson Funeral Home and Cremation Services are in charge of arrangements.

Lenora Marie Nahnsen, the daughter of Nicholas and Frieda (Meyer) Nahnsen, was born April 16, 1919 in Dawson Township, Greene County, Iowa. Lenora graduated from Churdan High School in 1936 and later married Paul Leon McCollum. In July of 1959, Paul passed away. Lenora later worked as a housemother at Drake University in Des Moines. She also served in the Peace Corp in Africa where she spent her 50th birthday. Lenora later moved to New York City where she was the head housekeeper for the LaGuardia Airport Holiday Inn. Lenora worked retail at J.C. Penney and Sears and as the night auditor for the Best Western Starlight Village in Fort Dodge. Lenora enjoyed traveling around the world with her family. In November of 2012, Lenora moved to the Fort Dodge Villa Care Center. She was a member of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church where she participated in making quilts.

She is survived by her two children, Jerris (Chintah) McCollum of Reno, Nevada and Janet Altemeier of Fort Dodge; five grandchildren, Janine (Brad) Niemeyer, Tara (Mike) Murphy, Sara Altemeier, David Altemeier and Monte (Ariana) McCollum; three step grandchildren, Sasha, Shara and Sunara; four great grandchildren, Dalton and Annie Niemeyer and  Mya and Roan McCollum. She is also survived by her sister, Doris Roberts of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. She is preceded in death by her husband, her parents, two sisters and two brothers.

In lieu of flowers memorials may be left to the Bell Choir or Praise Band of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church.