Stella Van Dyke, 81, of Lime Springs, IA passed away on Saturday, September 6, 2008 at the Patty Elwood Center in Cresco, IA.  Funeral services were held on Tuesday, September 9, 2008 at 1:00 p.m. at the Lindstrom Funeral Home in Cresco, IA.  Burial was in the Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Lime Springs, Iowa.

Stella was born in Poland on April 22, 1927.  She married Vern Van Dyke on November 27, 1948.  They lived in Germany then moved back to the States.  To this union three children were born, Raymond, Allen, Wanda, and Jeffrey.  She loved life and all of her family and friends.  The one thing Stella wanted to do was have all of her kids visit Poland and meet their grandparents, aunts, and uncles that she already had met.  She kept herself very busy with owning and running the Lime Springs Corner Café for many years; she then worked part time and enjoyed playing cards in the afternoon with the guys.  She also loved to crochet, working in the garden, canning and just enjoying family and friends.  Spending her last few years at the Howard Residential Care Facility and the Patty Elwood Center she made new friends and loved all of the workers and the very good care she received from them.

Stella is survived by her four children, Raymond of Lime Springs, IA, Allen (Carol) of Rochester, MN, Wanda (Rick) Byrnes of Cresco, IA, and Jeffrey (Jodene) of Rochester, MN, seven grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, brothers, sister, nieces, and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, parents, brother, nephew, and infant grandson.