Alfred E. Link, 83, Iola, died Sunday, March 23, 2014, at Allen County Regional Hospital.
Alfred was born July 21, 1930, in Yates Center, the son of John J. and Frances V. (Denner) Link. He grew up on the family farm southeast of Yates Center and attended Cherry Creek School District 14, graduated from Yates Center High School in 1948 and Iola Junior College in 1950.
He farmed and also worked for 40 years for the Kansas National Guard as a battalion training NCO at the Iola National Guard. He retired with the top rank of Rtd. Command Sgt. Major. He was inducted into the Kansas National Guard Hall of Fame in 2008.
On June 6, 1964, Alfred married Phyllis M. (Adams) Gray at St. Martin’s Catholic Church in Piqua. They made their home on the farm at Yates Center until moving to Iola in 1975. They built their new home on South Sycamore and moved in Dec. 31, 2001. Phyllis preceded him in death April 22, 2008.
His memberships include St. John’s Catholic Church, 4th Degree Knights of Columbus, American Legion in Iola, Veterans Day Committee Chairman and Farm City Days Committee. He has coached girls softball and served on the Piqua Farmer’s Co-op Board of Directors and on the Southeast Kansas Swine Association.
Survivors are his two daughters, Maria Erb and husband, Dale, LaHarpe, and Susan Downey and husband, Stan, Newton; two brothers, Louis J. Link, Kensington, Md., and John “Jerry” Link, Pratt; two sisters, Sister Regina Mary Link, Leavenworth, and Ruth Deuschle, Prairie Village; four grandchildren, Virginia Marker and husband, Dustin, Lee’s Summit, Mo., Jennifer Hummel and husband, Robert, Olathe, Zachary Downey, Salina, and Brendan Downey, Newton.
Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m., Tuesday, at Waugh-Yokum & Friskel Chapel in Iola.
The parish rosary will be recited at 10 a.m., Wednesday, and the celebration of the funeral mass will follow at 10:30 a.m. Both will be at St. John’s Catholic Church in Iola. Burial will be at St. Martin’s Cemetery, Piqua.
Memorials may be made to St. John’s Catholic Church or Kansas National Guard Hall of Fame. Memorial gifts may be left with the Waugh-Yokum & Friskel Memorial Chapel of Iola.
To sign the guestbook online or leave a condolence, go to www.iolafuneral.com.
Alfred Link
