Georgene L. Ackerman, 75, of North English, Iowa, died on Monday, Nov. 7, 2011, at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. A funeral mass will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at St. Joseph Catholic Church in North English with the Rev. Joseph Roost presiding. Visitation will be held at the Powell Funeral Home in North English from 4:30 to 7 p.m. today. A wake service will be held at 4 pm. Burial will be in the North English Cemetery. Messages and tributes may be left at powellfuneralhomes.com under obituaries. A memorial fund has been established for English Valleys Scholarship Fund.

Georgene LuEtta Ackerman was born on Nov. 8, 1935, near Walters, the daughter of Walter and Margaret Buendorf Hintz. She grew up in Minnesota and graduated from Kiester High School in Kiester. She was united in marriage to Philip Hynes Ackerman on Feb. 14, 1956, in Albert Lea. They moved to North English in 1959. Georgene worked as the manager and area supervisor of the North English Casey’s Store from 1978 to 1988. She then worked as manager at Knollridge Country Club from 1988 until her semi-retirement in 2006. Georgene loved her grandchildren, watching the Iowa Hawkeyes, English Valleys sports, cooking, canning and gambling with her friends at Riverside. She enjoyed going to Florida and Arizona during the winter months. Georgene especially enjoyed family gatherings around the holidays.

She is survived by sons: Patrick of Williamsburg, Iowa, Timothy (Alice) of Onalaska, Wis., Mark (Roberta) of Kingman, Ariz., Paul (Jane) of North English, Iowa, James of Olds, Iowa, Alan (Mari) of South English, Iowa, and a daughter Georgia (Greg) Gent of Wellman, Iowa; 26 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren; also surviving are her sisters: Harriett Anderson, of Albert Lea, and LeAnn Bronson, of Glenville. Georgene was preceded in death by her parents, husband, Philip in August, 2002, and two granddaughters and a brother, Louie Hintz.