Natalie Glasener

Natalie Glasener, 97, of Reinbeck, passed away on Monday, July 29, 2019 at The Elms Assisted Living in Reinbeck. The funeral service for Natalie will be held on Saturday, August 3rd at 11:00 AM at the United Methodist Church in Reinbeck. Visitation will be held from 9:30 until the time of service at the church. Burial will follow services at the Lincoln Township Cemetery in Voorhies. Memorials may be directed to the family and messages of condolence may be left at www.abelsfuneralhomes.com

Natalie V. (Hagg) Glasener was born November 14, 1921 at home in Frankfurt Township, Montgomery County,Iowa to Agnes Hedvig (Trybom) and John Vernie Nathaniel Hagg. She grew up in the “Little White City”, the Swedish community of Stanton, Iowa. She spent her early years on their farm before moving to town for high school during the Depression. When she graduated in 1939, she was just half-a-day shy of doing so with 12 years of perfect attendance.

During the time she lived there she worked briefly for Henry Fields in Shenandoah and also for an Omaha photographer. Her time working with the photographer sparked a life-long interest in documenting events with a camera. About a year after graduating, one of her life-long best friends talked her into attending radio communications school for United Airlines in Oakland, California. They were pioneers in this field as they were part of only the 2nd class to  include women for this training.

After completing the training,she worked in several cities and airports that United served across the country, among them Oakland, Kansas City, Midland Airport in Chicago, and Cleveland, Ohio. It was during her time with United that she met the man who would eventually become her husband. As with all good love stories, initially there was a little antagonism involving a string of practical jokes between the two of them. But as their paths crossed over the years, their regard for each other grew and eventually resulted in her marriage to George W. Glasener on September 24, 1949, in her home church, Mamrelund Lutheran in Stanton.

At this time Natalie alsoleft United, and they made their home on the Glasener family farm between Hudson and Reinbeck. For a brief period of time, while they contemplated whether or not to buy the farmfrom George’s parents, they (along with their first daughter) lived in Florida. When they decided to commit to farming, they returned to the farm in Iowa (despite Natalie saying that she would neverbe married to a farmer). It was here they lived and raised their two daughters. Natalie was a loving mother, a devoted and loving wife, and a doting grandmother.

In addition to being involved in her family members' lives, Natalie was active in both church and community activities as well; the long list of these included the Reinbeck Town and Country Saddle Club, the Circle R’s Square Dancers,4-H leader for several years; and also in UMW, PEO, Lincoln Township Homemakers, and the Black Hawk CountyFarm Bureau Women activities.

She developed a core group of great friends that regularly went out to eat and “gallivant”. They continued this practice even after Natalie, due to health reasons, was forced to move off the farm into the Elms Assisted Living in Reinbeck. They also, for a short time, catered various large group events in the local area.

Natalie died at the Elms, in the bed she had shared with George, on Monday, July 29, 2019.

She is preceded in death by her older sister Mildred Josephine (who only lived a few days) and her parents, as well as her husband of 52 years. She is survived by her daughters: Barbara JoGlasener (Pete Lampe) of Waverly and Janelle Lynn Glasener-Koenigsfeld (Robert) of rural Reinbeck; also her three grandchildren: Lee William Koenigsfeld (Breanna) of rural Buckingham; Lynn Marie Koenigsfeld of Kansas City, Missouri; and Luke Robert Koenigsfeld of rural Reinbeck; and her two great-grandchildren: Ellanor Klaire Koenigsfeld and Crew George Koenigsfeld of rural Buckingham; plus, two sisters-in-law and several nieces and nephews and their families.

She will be laid to rest next to her husband in the Lincoln Township Cemetery following visitation and funeral services at the family church, United Methodist in Reinbeck on Saturday, August 3, 2019.