Ellen Hoeck

Ellen Yvonne Rasmussen was born June 2, 1935, the daughter of Jens Frosee and Altje Ruth (Pellett) Rasmussen in Anita, Iowa, and passed away Monday, August 9, 2010, at Colonial Manor in Anita, Iowa.

Ellen grew up in Anita, graduating from Anita High School in 1953. Ellen then attended Commercial Extension in Omaha, Nebraska. Throughout the years she was employed as a nurse's aide in the nursery at the old hospital in Atlantic, as a secretary at Beaudines, and for Court Collections as a bookkeeper.
On October 4, 1953, she was united in marriage to Wilbert L. Hoeck at the United Methodist Church in Anita.

Ellen enjoyed playing rummy with no rules with Wilbert and playing Skipbo with her grandchildren. Other hobbies included flower gardening, bird watching, dancing, cooking and traveling. Some of her travels took her to Cancun, Florida and California with her grandchildren and to Niagara Falls on her and Wilbert's 50th wedding anniversary. Ellen was a member of the Anita Garden Club, and in the later years was a member of a card club playing Pinochle and Pitch.


She is preceded in death by her parents, Jens and Altje Rasmussen; her parents-in-law, Edward H. and Etta Clara (Vonseggern) Hoeck; her grandson, Justin Hoeck; her sisters-in-law, Lorraine Rasmussen, Dorothy and her husband, Ben Mackrill, Rose Mary (Folk) Rasmussen, and Helen Jane Rasmussen; her brother-in-law, Edward L. Hoeck; her uncles Elliott and Lester Rasmussen; and her aunt, Milly (Gudmond) Hvolboll.

Ellen is survived by her husband, Wilbert of Atlantic, IA; her children, Bert (April) Hoeck, Mary (friend Bill Casteel) Juhler all of Atlantic, IA, and Norman (Sue) Hoeck of Lewis, IA; her grandchildren, Christy (Rob) Bradshaw of Omaha, Nebraska, Cathy (Miguel) Nieto of Spotsylvania, Virginia, Melissa (Steve) Murray of Cumberland, Iowa, Cassie Weeks and Mitchell (Jacque) Hoeck of Atlantic, Iowa; her great-grandchildren, Amberlye and Michael Ervin, Reanna and Bryor Murray all of Cumberland, Iowa, Wesly and Alex Bradshaw of Omaha, Nebraska, Michael and Jonathan Nieto of Spotsylvania, Virginia, and Crystal and TiffaniAnne Hoeck of Atlantic, Iowa; her brothers, Robert (Lori) Rasmussen of Webb City, Missouri, John Rasmussen of Santa Barbara, California, and Gene Rasmussen of Des Moines, Iowa; her sister-in-law, Norma (Ron) Dant of Atlantic, Iowa; and her aunts, Leona Ibsen of Solvang, California, and Esther Rasmussen of Audubon, Iowa; and many other relatives and friends.


Visitation with family and viewing will be from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. with a prayer service at 7:15 p.m. on Thursday, August 12, 2010, at Hockenberry Family Care in Atlantic.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Friday, August 13, 2010, at Zion Lutheran Church in Atlantic, Iowa.

Private family burial of cremated remains will be in the Atlantic Cemetery at a later date.

Memorials may be made to the Cass County Memorial Hospital Hospice.

Hockenberry Funeral Home in Atlantic, Iowa, is in charge of the arrangements.