Rebecca Joe Wearin Pulk

INTERMENT: Glenwood Cemetery, Glenwood, Iowa

Rebecca Joe Wearin Pulk, age 66, long time resident of Mills County, Iowa, died at Immanuel Medical Center in Omaha NE on Thursday, January 24, 2008, following a courageous six month battle with colon cancer.

She was born on December 29, 1941, in Council Bluffs, IA to Otha Donner and Lola Irene Brazelton Wearin. She attended Wearin Public School (a one room schoolhouse a mile south and west of her home) and Malvern High School in Malvern, Iowa. She received her undergraduate degree from Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa, in 1962 at the age of 20 and a Master’s degree in Psychology from the University of Iowa in 1964. She also attended San Francisco State College where she earned a teaching certificate.

Immediately following graduation, Rebecca worked for the Atomic Energy Commission in the Chicago, Illinois area. She later moved to the San Francisco Bay area. While living there, she held various positions in teaching and was employed in college personnel work at Stanislaus State College.

On December 22, 1968, she was united in marriage to Allen Frederick Pulk in her parent’s home in Hastings, Iowa. Al was a Naval Aviator, so they moved frequently before settling in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1972. While in Fort Worth, Rebecca worked for the Circle T Girl Scout Council and was a volunteer leader. She also worked for Tarrant County Junior College and Texas Christian University (TCU). In addition, Rebecca was a Sunday school teacher at Saint Andrew’s Episocopal Church, a youth athletics coach and a member of the Tip Top Horse Riding Club.

In 1983, Rebecca and family moved to Iowa so she could begin working with her parents in the family farming operation. She is the fourth generation of the Wearin family to farm in Mills County. One of Rebecca’s primary interests was land conservation. She has cared for the Wearin Prairie, a 60+ acre native prairie which has been in the family since 1854. She also planted thousands of trees in reforestation effort including the creation of an official Tree Farm. Rebecca served on the Iowa Crop Improvement’s Native Prairie Seed Committee and as assistant commissioner of the Mills County Soil and Water Conservation District Board was also on the core committee directing the Women, Land and Legacy program. She was recently honored with a lifetime achievement award from the Mills County Soil and Water Conservation District Board. She has installed many terraces, and has 70+ acres of Native Grass buffer strips.

Rebecca was a member of Saint John’s Episcopal Church in Glenwood, Iowa. She was one of the initial fundraisers for the new Mills County YMCA in Glenwood, Iowa and currently serves on its board. She was an animal lover, especially horses and dogs. Many of her favorite childhood memories involved riding and she always enjoyed having dogs around the house, an interest she passed to her family. Rebecca deeply loved and cared for her family and friends. Her grandchildren were her special joy. She was a generous, kind woman with a beautiful smile. She was always available to listen and offer helpful advice or simply share a good laugh. She will be dearly missed by many.

Rebecca is survived by her husband, Al, her daughter Brooke and husband Gunther Lubben of Geneva, IL; her daughter Erin and husband Jeff Lenz of Glenwood, IA; and three grandchildren Alyson Lenz, Berit Lubben and Raegan Lubben. She is further survived by her sister and husband Martha and Bob Rasmussen of Fairfield, IA; her niece Robin Rasmussen and husband Pat Bird of Los Altos Hills, CA; nephew Matt Rasmussen and wife Kim of Costa Mesa, CA; and extended Pulk family members.

Funeral services for Rebecca Joe Wearin Pulk will be held at 11:00 am Monday, January 28, 2008, at Peterson Mortuary, The Reverend Artis Ferrel, will officiate. Relatives and friends are welcome at the Peterson Mortuary for visitation, 212 South Locust Street, Glenwood, IA on Sunday, January 27, 2008 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been established in Rebecca’s name at the Glenwood YMCA “Ò Strong Kids Foundation, c/o Peterson Mortuary, Box 10 Glenwood, IA 51534.

Visitation:Sunday, January 27, 2008
4:00 PM
212 South Locust
Glenwood, IA51534

Service:Monday, January 28, 2008
11:00 AM
212 South Locust
Glenwood, IA51534