October 12, 1905, William and Dora (Rose) Branning of rural Carroll were blessed with a daughter, Augusta Wilhelmina Louise. Later sister Amelia and brothers Walt, Fred, and Art made up the Branning family.

Louise attended country school near Halbur and graduated from the eighth grade. Her love of sewing enabled her to attend sewing school in Carroll. Louise was a gifted seamstress, and made many beautiful clothes for her daughters and granddaughters.

September 1, 1931, Louise and Charles Dierenfeld were married at the Zion Lutheran Church in Arcadia by Pastor Tews. Fifty years later, Pastor and Mrs. Tews along with attendants, Clara Brotherson and Art Branning joined family and friends to celebrate the golden wedding anniversary of Charley and Louise.

Louise loved living in Wall Lake, and being a farmers wife. Raising three daughters, Jean, Jeannette, and Marlene, and watching them and their husbands raise their families was the high light of her life.

Louise enjoyed being in card clubs, and being an active member of the Peace Lutheran Church in Wall Lake and Ladies Aid.

In 2005, Louise celebrated her 100th birthday with family and friends. She had a wonderful day! Later she received a certificate from the state of Iowa recognizing her as a member of Iowa’s elite group of Centenarians.

For the past nine years, Louise has made her home at Twilight Acres. Following a short illness she passed away Friday, September 21, 2007, at the St. Anthony Hospital in Carroll, reaching the age of 101.

Those who will cherish her memory are her daughters: Jean Westrom and husband Ken of Denison, IA; Jeannette Taylor and husband Dick of Sioux City, IA; and Marlene Schmidt and husband Roger of Wall Lake, IA; her sister, Amelia Vetter of Arcadia, IA; 11 grandchildren: Kathryn Westrom of Des Moines, IA, Linda (Hans) Hoffmeier of Denison, IA, Tom (Sara) Westrom of Omaha, NE, Bruce Westrom of Atlantic, IA, LuAnn (Steve) Johnson of Rochester, MN, Steve (Mary) Taylor of Denver, CO, Scott Taylor of Omaha, NE, Kimberly (Joe) McGarry of Sioux City, IA, Allen (Karen) Schmidt of Cedar Rapids, IA, Dan (Kathy) Schmidt of Wall Lake, IA, and Angie (Randy) Meyer of Johnston, IA; 13 great-grandchildren: Ashley and Harrison Hoffmeier, Dublin Westrom, Karissa and Stephanie Johnson, Evyn, Sydney, and Jason Taylor, Amber, Austin, Taylor, and Nicole Schmidt and Spencer Meyer; and many extended family members.

She has been a blessing to many, God chose this time for her to join her husband, Charles, son, Don Charles, grandson David Westrom, brothers, Walt, Fred and Art and her parents in heaven, where there is no sorrow or pain, only much joy and happiness.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m., on Wednesday, September 26, 2007, at Peace Lutheran Church in Wall Lake with Rev. Roger Carlisle officiating. Burial will be at the Wall Lake Cemetery under the direction of the Farber & Otteman Funeral Home in Wall Lake.

Visitation is from 5:00-8:00 p.m., Tuesday, September 25th, at the funeral home in Wall Lake where the family will be present.