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Obituary

Zelda “Sam” Caroline (Ehlers) Inman went to be with the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ at the age of 92 years on Sunday August 6, 2023 at 12:44 AM.

She was the daughter of Arthur Friedrich Ehlers and Caroline (Schwartz) Ehlers. She was born at home December 6th, 1930 on the Arthur Ehlers family farm (still in the family) 4 miles South of Arcadia, Iowa. In December she was baptized in the Lutheran faith at Zion Lutheran Church in Arcadia, Iowa by the Reverend Theo Tews. She was confirmed in 1944 in Zion Lutheran in Arcadia, Iowa. She attended a one room country school and then graduated in 1949 from Arcadia High School.

On June 26, 1949 she married Harvey Kienast at the Zion Lutheran Church by the Reverend Theo Tews in Arcadia.

In 1954 moved to the Arthur Ehlers farm near Denison, Iowa. Living on the farm she milked cows by hand and other chores the old-fashioned way. The last two years she did the farming by herself and took the kids to Zion Lutheran Parochial School in Denison, Iowa while her husband Harvey worked at the factory in Denison.

In 1966 the family moved to Burlington, Iowa where Sam owned and operated a motel for several years. She was a member of Concordia Lutheran Church Burlington, Iowa.

On July 12th of 1968 she married James Inman at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Aledo, Illinois. They were married 48 years. He passed away August 27, 2016. They were very much in love and very compatible. She played drums with Jim Inman and Westerners Band, playing three nights a week. Jim and Sam worked day time jobs as well for several years. Sam owned and managed the Inman’s Country Diamond in Gulfport, Illinois.

In Burlington she worked in Home Health, McKesson & Robbins and was the booking agent for the band. She worked as an alcohol and drug counselor for ADDS (Alcohol Drug Dependency Service) retiring at the age of 72 years old with 15 years of service.

At Zion Lutheran Church in Denison, she was very active in the Ladies’ Aide Society, always willing to help. She believed in helping people on the farms, and organized farmers to come and plant corn, pick it or whatever the season was whenever someone was injured or seriously ill. She donated their band to play benefits for injured or seriously sick or a death to help with expenses.

She was preceded in death by her parents, grandparents, husbands, four children Kristi Renee Kienast, John Arthur Kienast, Lori Lynn Kienast and Donnie Inman; daughter-in-law Juli Inman; three brothers Marvin Ehlers in infancy, Alvin Ehlers and his wife Valera Ehlers of Clinton, Iowa, Glenn and his wife Shirley Ehlers of Arcadia, Iowa; sisters-in-law Edna Pullen, Shirley Kohl and Judy Inman, one brother-in-law Ron Inman and one grandchild Dustin McWhorter.

She is survived by her eight children Vickie (Greg) Lee, Linda (Gary) Virgin, Ronald Kienast, Kim Kienast (daughter-in-law) all of Burlington. Darrell Inman of Sherrard, Illinois, Alicia Haupt of Goofy Ridge, Illinois, Elaine (Tom) Rountree of Milan, Illinois, Raymond (Sarah) Inman of Coal Valley, Illinois and Jami Renee Inman-Bell (Elliott Bell) of Gotha, Florida. She also raised two grandchildren Andrea Lane and David Jacob Mathias and great granddaughter Kinley Mathias; 32 grandchildren; 60 great grandchildren; eight great great grandchildren.

Jim Inman was the love of her life. They enjoyed spending a lot of time together. They played with the band at the Steamboat Senior Center for the last 26 years for dances. She played drums the last seven years at the center.

The funeral service for Mrs. Inman will be held at Concordia Lutheran Church at 10:00 AM, Wednesday, August 9th with Pastor Christopher Roepke officiating. Interment will follow in Aspen Grove Cemetery. The family will receive friends 5:00 to 7:00 PM on Tuesday, August 8th at Lunning Chapel with service of the word following visitation.

Memorials have been established for Concordia, Lutheran Church, Southeast Iowa Regional Hospice House and the Senior Citizen Center.

Online condolences may be made by visiting www.lunningfuneralchapel.com