Gretchen Hagen Van Wert

Gretchen LaMae Hagen, 92, of Van Wert died Sunday, Sept. 27, 2015, at the Good Samaritan Center in Indianola.

Funeral services were held 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 30 at the Slade-O’Donnell Funeral Home, 103 N.E. Mill St., in Leon. Burial was in the Van Wert Cemetery at a later date. Memorials can be made to the Southern Iowa Trolley in her memory.

Gretchen Hagen, daughter of John Floyd and Esther Belle (Edgington) Argabright, was born Oct. 31, 1922, in Lamoni.

Gretchen grew up in Lamoni and attended school there. In 1939, she married Shelby Dale Hagen. They made their home in several places in Clarke and Decatur counties with the longest time in Van Wert.

Gretchen worked as a waitress at Hanaco and Riley’s Roof Garden, a seamstress at O’Bryan Brothers and in the laundry department at Leon Care Center. She retired at age 73.

Gretchen is survived by her children, Jerry Hagen of Van Wert and Sandy (Curt) Gracey of Norwalk; daughter-in-law Connie Hagen of Weldon; grandchildren, Candy Melbie, Kim and Dan Kirkpatrick, Joe and Jennifer Hagen, Jeff and Roz Hagen and Ryan Gracey; great-grandchildren, Cassie and Austin Melbie, Drew Kirkpatrick, Michael and Travis Hagen and Jayna Hagen; sisters, Jean Gray of Van Wert and Shirley Gross of Ponca City, Oklahoma; nieces and nephews and other relatives and friends.

Gretchen was preceded in death by her parents; husband Shelby in 1993; son Jim Hagen in 2014; grandchildren, John Hagen, Camron Gracey and Christina Hagen and siblings, Melba Swigart, Verle Argabright and John Argabright.