Bessie Ruth (Falen) Perlenfein

Age 97, passed away Sunday, May 20, 2018. Bessie was born on February 11, 1921 to James and Maude Falen in Elk City, OK. She came to Wichita in 1940 where she graduated from Wichita Business College, and met and married her husband of 63 years, Reinhold "Reiny" Perlenfein on February 28, 1943. They had 3 daughters. Bessie was active in her church, serving in many ways including being a Stephen Minister, a member of the Altar Circle, the JOY fellowship, and in charge of funeral dinners. During WWII, she worked as a secretary for Boeing Aircraft. Bessie worked for USD 259 at East High as the vocational secretary and then at the downtown Administration Building in the business department as a payroll clerk. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, sister Alice Chantre, Viola Marx, Mabel Lewis, Mary Boxell, an infant brother, and her brother Melvin Falen. Along with her husband, Reiny, she gardened, planting vegetables and flowers almost nine months out of the year. She canned or froze the results from the garden. Her family enjoyed green beans, tomatoes, salsa, corn, melons, beets, multiple types of pickles, turnips, and other vegetables all year long. She is survived by her daughters Karen Soderstrom (Dale), Sandra Bursack (Frederick), and Donna Perlenfein, by her grandsons Gregory Soderstrom (Tephanie) in Italy, and David Soderstrom (Irene) in Lawrence, KS; six great grandchildren, as well as her brother Laverne Falen of Alamogordo, NM and many nieces and nephews. Memorial established with Ascension Lutheran Church and The Lutheran Hour. Visitation at Resthaven Mortuary on Thursday, May 24th from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Funeral services will be at Ascension Lutheran Church at 842 N. Tyler Road, in Wichita on Friday, May 25th at 10:00 a.m. Interment will be held at Old Mission Cemetery.