Obituary of Twila Louise Rankin

Services for Twila Rankin, 96, of Ames (formerly Knoxville) will be held on Monday, February 23,
2026, at the Pierschbacher Funeral Home in Knoxville, Iowa at 10:30 a.m. Family will greet
guests on Sunday, February 22, 2026, at the funeral home from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Interment will
be held at Graceland Cemetery in Knoxville following the service.
The concluding chapter of a story of over nine decades came to a close February 15, 2026, as
Twila Louise Rankin completed her earthly journey of an outstanding life lived.
Twila Louise Little was born January 5, 1930, at her first childhood home in Carlisle, Iowa, to
Charlotte Maxine Little (Jones) and Thomas Jefferson “Doc” Little. A coal miner’s daughter, her
family would soon move to Pershing, Iowa, where Twila, and younger brother Thomas, spent
the majority of their childhood – briefly moving to Burlington, Iowa, where their father worked
in an ammunitions plant, while the mines were closed in Pershing during WWII.
As a child Twila enjoyed reading books and being outside – riding her bicycle, climbing trees,
and playing games with neighborhood friends, mentioning often in her adult years of the
privilege of growing up in a coal mining community among so many different nationalities.
Twilla’s devoted and consistent love for helping others started at an early age, as she was
always willing, and did not hesitate, to assist neighbors with cleaning, cooking, and childcare.
She attended Pershing Elementary School, New London Community School, and Attica High
School, graduating in 1947.
Of Twila’s greatest joys was meeting and marrying the love of her life, Lawrence “Boyd” Rankin,
– to whom she would be married for 42 years, until Boyd’s death in 1990. Among Twila’s most
proud moments of achievement in her life were being a mother, grandmother, great
grandmother, and great, great grandmother. She and Boyd were gifted three children, Gregory
Boyd, Beverly Jo, and Merry Lynn, and through them the joy of eight grandchildren, twenty-one
great grandchildren and eleven great, great grandchildren.
Twila and Boyd made their home first on his family’s farm near Pershing, Iowa and then on
their own farm near Attica, Iowa. Twila quickly made an impressive and perseverant transition
from town living to being a farm wife. She steadfastly took on each and every duty and need
related to life on the farm – from gardening and canning to moving livestock and random farm
maintenance projects to ensuring every neighborhood kid helping put up hay did not leave
hungry.
Upon Boyd’s death, Twila moved to Knoxville, Iowa, where she would reside until moving to
Northcrest Community in Ames, Iowa in 1992. Upon moving to Knoxville, Twila immediately
immersed herself in helping her community through volunteer opportunities at Stepping
Stones, the Chamber of Commerce and the Iowa Departments of Health and Human Services
and Natural Resources. A woman of deep and abiding faith, Twila was also very involved in her
church, serving in a variety of roles and through involvement with the United Methodist
Women’s groups at Zion, Attica, Bussey and Knoxville.
As Alzheimer’s took more pieces of Twila from her family and friends, her love, compassion and
beautiful smile and soul continued to shine brightly – inside and out. Just as she lived the
entirety of her life through grace and with grace, so did she finish it.
Twila is preceded in finishing her journey by her husband Boyd, son Gregg, son-in-law Daryl,
parents Charlotte and Doc, brother Tom, in-laws Flossie and Lester, sisters and brothers -in-law
Pauline, Maxine (Earl), Genny (Owen), Joy (Bill) and Jack, nephews Tim and Luke, niece Nancy,
aunts, uncles, cousins and many dear friends. Here to continue the journey she has inspired are
daughters, Bev Clipperton and Merry Rankin (Tom Anderson), sisters-in-law, Ruth Little and
Joby Herman, grandchildren Jennifer (Rodney) Rothfus, Patrick Clipperton, Jeanna (Todd)
Wilson, Steve (Bonnie) Rankin, Dan (Krystal) Rankin, Stacie (Andy) Dunkin, Brad (Kory) Anderson
and Taylor (Bradley) Spain, great and great great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins and
an abundance of friends and so many she met and adored.
Twila’s family extends deep appreciation and heartfelt gratitude to the staff of Northcrest
Community and Heartwood House, and Suncrest Hospice for their kind, conscientious and
attentive consideration, care, and kindness.
In lieu of flowers, Twila’s life can be honored through a donation to a favorite organization that
supports causes especially near and dear to her heart related to children, families, literacy,
faith, veterans, or animals, or through memorials to the Alzheimer’s Association, Knoxville
Humane Society, St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, or Iowa Public Television.