Jake Valentine

Jake Valentine, 90, of Iowa Falls, passed away Tuesday, January 2, 2024 at MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center. Funeral services will be 11:00 AM Saturday, January 6, 2024 at the First United Methodist Church in Iowa Falls. He will be laid to rest at the Union Cemetery. Visitation will be from 9:30 AM until service time on Saturday at the church. Woodley Funeral Home of Iowa Falls is caring for Jake and his family. Jake A. (Ausbrand) Valentine was born in Aplington, Iowa on March 18, 1933, the son of August and Minnie (Buseman) Valentine. Jake graduated from Aplington High School class of 1951. He attended Ellsworth Community College, graduating in 1954. On August 30, 1955 Jake was united in marriage to Audrey Nassen at the First Baptist Church by Rev. Peter Peters. Jake graduated from the Institute of Mortuary Science at Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He took apprenticeship at the former Roe Funeral Home in Iowa Falls. He was then employed at the former Kearns-Dykeman Chapel in Waterloo for five years, and then purchased the Hoover Funeral Home in Marengo, Iowa. He served the Marengo and Amana area from 1964-1994. Jake moved to Iowa Falls (semi-retired) in 1994, and assisted Linn’s Funeral Home for several years. His wife Audrey passed away on February 23, 2004 in Iowa Falls. On February 4, 2006 Jake was united in marriage to Linda (Larson) Broesder at the First United Methodist Church in Algona, Iowa. Jake was a Licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer since 1958. He was honored by the Iowa Funeral Directors Association in May 2018 for being a licensed funeral director for sixty years. He was a member of the Kiwanis Club in Iowa Falls from 1994 to present, and thirty years member in Marengo prior to that. Jake was a member of the Iowa Falls Methodist Church and former member of the Marengo Methodist Church, holding offices and serving on a number of committees while there. As a young man he served his country as a member of the Iowa National Guard. Jake Valentine is survived by his wife, Linda Valentine of Iowa Falls, Iowa; son, David (Jane) of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; two step grandsons, Jordan and Josh and one step-granddaughter, Amanda. Also surviving, is one daughter, Julie (Marty) Kranz of Iowa City, Iowa and step-granddaughter, Kelsey (Kevin) Brown of Mt Union, Iowa; great-grandchildren, Benton, Beauden and Blake Brown of Mt. Union, Iowa; a step-daughter, LeAnn (Terry) Kleinhesselink, and their three sons, David, James and Aaron all of Des Moines, Iowa; step-daughter, Laura Broesder of West Des Moines; one brother, Robert (Eileen) of Wellsburg, Iowa; sister, Alida Freese of Hampton, Iowa, as well as several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; first wife, Audrey; brother, Melvin Valentine; sister-in-law, Vernice Valentine and brother-in-law Harm Freese.