Irma (Duwa) Altenhofen, 87, of Washington, passed away Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024, at Halcyon House in Washington. A funeral mass will be held Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, at 10:30 a.m., at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Richmond. The service will be available via Livestream at the Beatty Peterseim Website, Facebook and YouTube pages. Visitation will be held Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, from 4 – 7 p.m., at the Peterseim Funeral Home in Kalona, where a Rosary will be recited at 3:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers a memorial fund has been established for the Alzheimer’s Association.
Irma Aledia Altenhofen was born March 6, 1937, in Washington County, the daughter of Lawrence “Doc” and Agnes (Bopp) Duwa. She graduated from California College of Commerce, Long Beach, with a degree in business. On May 30, 1957, she was united in marriage to Dennis Altenhofen in National City, California. She worked as a secretary for the Long Beach Police Department’s Detective Bureau.
Following that, Irma was Parish Secretary at Our Lady of Refuge Catholic Church in Long Beach for 18 years. While there she also served on the parish council, was a Eucharistic minister and oversaw Bingo. Irma and Denny shared their time between Long Beach and Iowa for the past 25 years.
In Iowa she was a member of Holy Trinity Catholic Church, the Red Hat Society and the Friends of Bunker Mill Bridge. Irma enjoyed traveling, flower gardening and making fruitcakes. Family was very important to Irma, and she thoroughly enjoyed reunions and gatherings. Highlights of her life include meeting Mother Teresa in Long Beach, traveling to the Holy Land and a pilgrimage to Medjugorje.
Survivors include her husband: Dennis of Washington; two sons: Nicholas Altenhofen of Long Beach and Dewey Altenhofen (Carmela Garcia) of Carlsbad, California; one step-granddaughter: Kristen; two step-great-grandchildren: Kambria and Kinsley; three sisters: Lucille Duwa of Hills, Dolores Krotz of Washington, and Janet (Merlin) Hagie of Washington; and one brother: Dean Duwa of Ainsworth.
Preceding Irma in death were her parents; four sisters: Vera Gingerich, Cleola Schneider, Velma Waldschmidt and Elaine Lee; and two brothers: Dale and Clifford Duwa.
