Eneken Kadi Wakelin

West Des Moines

Eneken “Kadi” Wakelin, 73, passed away Friday, October 28, 2016 in Paris, France while on one of the many worldwide cruises she took with her loving husband, Dale. Funeral services will be held 2 p.m. Friday at McLaren’s Chapel with burial at Resthaven Cemetery. Visitation will be from 1 p.m. until service time Friday at McLaren’s Chapel.

Kadi was born June 8, 1943 in Tartu, Estonia the daughter of Evald and Lisette Mahl. With the potential of a Russian invasion her family relocated to a displaced persons camp in Soltau, Germany where Kadi’s sister, Anne was born in 1946. The family was transported on a troop ship to New Orleans, LA arriving in 1949. Because the ship was late arriving in New Orleans their sponsor took another family and the replacement sponsor moved the family to Baird, TX. Eventually a Lutheran church in Des Moines, Iowa became their sponsor and found the family a residence and a job for Kadi’s father.

Kadi went to the University of Iowa and after college worked at the Des Moines Register and Tribune. She then worked at Meredith Printing where she met her husband and went on to work at Meredith Corporation. Kadi decided to become a nurse and received her RN degree from Lutheran Hospital in 1968. Dale Ellis Wakelin and Eneken Kadi Mahl were united in marriage in Des Moines on July 27, 1974 in the chapel at First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) located near the Drake University campus. She worked for Dr. James Dickens and others at Mercy Hilltop Clinic until her retirement in 1995.

Kadi had a love for belly dancing and taking cruises around the word but her greatest love was for her partner and lifelong companion, Dale. She will be dearly missed.

She is survived by her husband of 43 years, Dale; sister, Anne (Dr. Darius) Boman of El Paso, TX; and her sister-in-law, Aryel (Jim) Hutchinson in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada; along with their families.

Memorial contributions may be given to the Animal Rescue League of Iowa.