Obituary of Nelda Shippers Ronk

Nelda Ruth Shippers Ronk returned home to her Heavenly Father and was reunited with her beloved Howard and Niki and other loved ones Friday, December 3rd, 2010. Nelda was born October 3rd, 1924 in Marysville, Kansas to Nicholas J. and Freda May Talbot Shippers. She was raised in and went to the public schools in Marysville and graduated from Marysville High School in 1942. She taught school for one year in a one room school house which had all grades together and also worked for the telephone company to raise money for college. She went to Kansas State University and met the love of her life, Howard there. While there she worked at the Plant Sciences research laboratory but returned to Marysville in the summers. She graduated with a degree in Home Economics and she and Howard were married on December 19, 1946. They later moved to Twin Falls, Idaho and lived there the remainder of their lives. Nelda was a dedicated mother to their four children Niki, Cyndy, Jay and Jeff and was so proud of their accomplishments. She worked as a home economist in Twin Falls, taught tailoring at the College of Southern Idaho, worked in a downtown fabric store, worked in the clothing department at K-Mart and generally kept very busy. She was a long time judge at the various county fairs around Twin Falls in both the food and clothing areas. Nelda found time to sponsor a 4-H club for her girls, was a den mother for her boys’ Cub Scout groups plus was a beautiful seamstress who made all kinds of clothing items for her family and others. She liked to travel with her family and after she and Howard retired, took some wonderful long bus tours to various parts of the United States. Nelda was a long time member of the Twin Falls United Methodist Church and was very involved with the Circles, taught Sunday School and served on different church boards. She was also involved with the Merry Marrieds club and she and Howard had a long standing group of friends that got together once a month in a Pinochle club. Nelda served in the Idaho Veterinary Medical Women’s Auxiliary and held state and national offices in those groups. She and Howard’s lives were tragically changed when their oldest daughter Niki was killed by a drunk driver in 1964. They worked together along with the two other families to get the penalty for drunk driving in the state of Idaho changed to be much more severe. Nelda was proceeded in death by her husband Howard, daughter Niki, and brother Buzz. She is survived by her children Cyndy (Con) Paulos of Jerome, Jay (Suzan) Ronk of Pocatello, Jeff (Kay) Ronk of Amarillo, Texas, grandchildren Jayson (Megan), Bekky, Nicole, Costa, and Christina, Steven, Justin, and Brandon and great-grandchildren Taylor, Jolee, Emma & Simon. Funeral arrangements are through Rosenau Funeral Home in Twin Falls. There will be a viewing at Rosenau Funeral Home from 6-8 p.m. on Tuesday, December 7th. The funeral will be at the Twin Falls United Methodist Church on Wednesday, December 8th, 2010 at 1 p.m. Donations can be made to the Twin Falls United Methodist Church or to the College of Southern Idaho – Child Care Center or the Scholarship Fund. The family would like to thank the owners and staff of the Chardonnay Assisted Living Center for all of their love and support for Mom during this past year. They would also like to thank the medical professionals at St. Luke’s Magic Valley Regional Medical center for their excellent care this past week. Family and friends are encouraged to share their thoughts and memories at www.rosenaufuneralhome.com.