Hetty Ahrens

1914 - 2012

INDIANAPOLIS – Hetty (Konold) Ahrens, 97, passed away Thursday, Nov. 16, 2012, in Indianapolis.
She was born at the family home between Branchville and Oriole Dec. 30, 1914, to John Henry Konold and Mary Elizabeth (Esarey) Konold. Hetty had seven sisters and two brothers, the girls whom were legendary in northern Perry County during their teen and young adult years. Hetty was a dental assistant in Peru at the time she met her husband-to-be, Alvin William Ahrens, an educator. Hetty and Alvin were married in 1934.
Hetty thoroughly enjoyed being a wife, mother, homemaker, singer and community volunteer extraordinaire. She was at times involved as a Scout leader, a member of the Scout Council, Methodist Youth Fellowship and in leading the youth choir. Hetty was also involved and held various offices in the many different school parent-teacher organizations she worked with when Alvin was a teacher, principal and then superintendent of various school systems. In 1954, she was certified by the Red Cross to do music therapy in VA Hospitals, which she did for five years in Danville, Ill.
Years later she took that experience into nursing homes in Dunedin, Fla. In the 60s she created a group called "The Evergreens," which provided transportation, lunch and a program monthly for isolated elders living alone or with their children in McLean, Va. The program was thriving more than 10 years after she mov-ed from that community. Hetty told a reporter from the Dunedin newspaper while being interviewed after being honored with yet another award for volunteer service, that while her husband, Dr. Ahrens, was retired, she hoped never to retire.
Hetty is survived by son, Clark Konold Ahrens, and his wife, Julia Lynne Ahrens from Columbus and a daughter, Marcia Ewbank Krieg from Indianapolis; her grandsons, Tyler and his wife, Adri Ahrens from Atlanta, Ga., Karl Ewbank and his wife, Kelly from Perrysburg, Ohio, and granddaughter Ahren Ewbank Callaway and her husband, Jeff from Indianapolis. She was also blessed with six great-grandchildren.
A celebration of life memorial service will be held at the Branchville United Methodist Church at 9 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 10. All friends and family are welcome. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the German Ridge Cemetery care of Doug and Jean Galey, 843-5716; the Branchville Methodist Church in care of Bill Reid, 547-6030 or the restoration project of St. Augustine Catholic Church in Leopold.