Dolores “Dee” Abels, age 78, of Storm Lake, Iowa passed peacefully in her sleep on Sunday, August 31, 2008 at Buena Vista Regional Medical Center in Storm Lake.

Memorial Mass for Mrs. Abels will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, September 4, 2008 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Storm Lake, with Reverend Bruce Lawler serving as celebrant. Burial will be at a later date at Oakhill Cemetery in Cherokee, Iowa. The Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake is in charge of the arrangements. There will be no visitation.

Dee was born April 26, 1930 in Cherokee. She attended Immaculate Conception High School in Cherokee. After high school, Dee began her career working in medical records. On November 22, 1950, she was united in holy matrimony to Gordon Abels. The couple was blessed with four sons. Following her marriage, Dee was a traveling Air Force wife for ten years.

Dee was also a homemaker who enjoyed keeping a warm and comfortable home for her family. She was a faithful member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Storm Lake, and enjoyed quilting and gardening. A very good cook, Dee liked preparing a variety of foods for family and friends. She was also an avid bridge player.

Among those left to cherish her memory are her husband, Gordon, and her three sons: Kurt, Steven and Chris, all of whom reside in the greater Storm Lake area. She also has one surviving sister, Sheila Burns, of Cherokee, Iowa; nieces, nephews, extended family and friends.

Dee was preceded in death by her parents, her son, Ben, one brother and two sisters.