Irma May Foulks

Irma Foulks, 85 of Ponca, NE went to be with her Lord Sunday November 22, 2009 at her home following a brief illness.Services will be held Friday November 27, 2009 at 10:30 AM at the Ponca Evangelical Free Church with Pastor Dennis Ritchey officiating. Viewing and visitation with family present will be from 5 -- 7 Thursday, November 26th at the church with a prayer service following at 7 pm. Music by Tim & Pam Schram singing "It is Real" after a document is read by Pastor Ritchey which Irma wrote about her own salvation. Burial will be at Silver Ridge Cemetery, west of Ponca. Irma was born May 22, 1924 to Ernest Caleb Odle and Alice May (Putnam) Odle at her parents' home in Ponca Nebraska. Since her mother's doctor was out of town at the time, Sara Gilmer, a single lady & a midwife, brought her into the world. Sarah always called her "my baby" thereafter.At a young age, Irma was born again at the Missionary Alliance Church in Sioux City when a converted opera singer explained what faith meant and used a verse in Ephesians 2:8 "For by Grace are you saved through faith." One of her greatest joys was helping others find the saving grace of God in their lives. She was a charter member of the Ponca Evangelical Free Church and held many offices in the church and Sunday school. She and her husband were active in the youth ministry and many of the youth became full time Christian workers and are active in church ministry today.She attended all 12 grades in Ponca Schools and was graduated in 1941. After high school she worked for a short time for Kingsbury and Kingsbury as a legal secretary and at the Ponca Public Power District.Later she went to Wheaton College and while in Wheaton, IL she worked for Dr John R Rice, an evangelist.After returning to Ponca, she worked in her dad's trucking office and bought a truck of her own which she ran with her dad's fleet. She also worked for John E Newton, County Attorney.In 1947, she married Merle Foulks and moved to a farm west of Ponca. They had three children, Janice Kay, Nancy May and Caleb Merle. In 1955 they moved to Ponca and Merle worked in Sioux City.In 1957, Irma was elected Dixon County Clerk of District Court. She was re-elected 4 terms, serving 32 years.For many years she was a correspondent for the Sioux City Journal and often took one of her grandkids along for interviews -- making memories. Rachel Foulks remembers going to Hartington to interview a bee keeper. The Sunday the pastor called the worker bees "he" she knew he was wrong. Sarah Foulks liked to see the expression on her friends' faces when she told them she helped interview Harry Hart, nephew of Al Capone and the son of 2-gun Hart. Aaron Armstrong was interested in the 100 year old Wakefield man who lived alone and showed his many antiques. Alan Armstrong and Michelle Foster helped with pictures; Alan at a HazMat firemen's meeting in Dakota City and Michelle at a dairy farm near Wakefield. After the interviews she usually took them to lunch at a caf. They enjoyed the one -- on -- one time together.Merle and Irma took many trips across the United States, Canada, Mexico and Europe. She usually wrote a poem about the places they visited and the people with whom they traveled. She made copies for each of her fellow--travelers. Survivors include her husband, Merle and her children and their spouses: Janice and Phil Foster; Nancy and Curtis Armstrong and Caleb and Beth (Schram) Foulks; Her grandchildren: Michelle Foster, Andrew Foster and his wife Charlotte, Alan and Aaron Armstrong and Sarah and Rachel Foulks, and two great grandchildren, Jonathan and David Foster; her sister-in-law, Velma Watchorn and her brother-in-law and sister-in-law Edward and Betty Watchorn, and several nieces and nephewsPreceding her in death were her parents, Ernest and Alice Odle and a brother-in-law, Glen Watchorn.Pallbearers will be her grandchildren: Michelle and Andrew Foster; Alan and Aaron Armstrong and Sarah and Rachel Foulks.It is alright to be sad. "Jesus wept" when his friend died. But remember I am more alive than I have ever been and hope someday to see you here with me.Arrangement under the of Mohr Funeral home Condolences may be sent to www.mohrfuneralhome.comMemorials may be directed to Ponca Evangelical Free Church for the purchase of audio equipment for the hard of hearing.