Neta Stoakes, 87, of Grinnell, Iowa, died on Sunday, December 4, 2016, at Grinnell Health Care Center. A funeral service will be held 11:00 a.m., Thursday, December 8, 2016, at the Smith Funeral Home in Grinnell. Music will be provided by Juli Bey and Rhonda Minner. Interment will be at Hazelwood Cemetery in Grinnell. Friends may call at the Smith Funeral Home from 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday and the family will be present at the funeral home one hour prior to the service. A memorial fund in Mrs. Stoakes name will be established. Neta was born on April 1, 1929, in Denver, Colorado to Derwood and Mary Bruce Neidiger. The family moved to Iowa, and later resided in Traer. She graduated with the Class of 1947 from Traer High School, and attended the Gates Business College in Waterloo. On August 8, 1948, she was united in marriage to Kenneth Stoakes and to this union was born three children; Linda, David and Kathleen. Following their marriage the couple lived in Cedar Falls, Malcom, Orange and Mason City before moving to Reinbeck, where Kenneth served as Superintendent of the Reinbeck School District. Neta worked for several years as a cashier at the University of Northern Iowa. Following their retirement, they lived at Clear Lake, Iowa. Neta had lived in Des Moines and Grinnell to be close to family for the past few years. Neta was an avid reader and especially enjoyed reading biographies. She also enjoyed gardening and baking for family and friends as well as traveling with her husband. Survivors include her children, Linda Daseke of Mason City, IA, Dr. David (Jackie) Stoakes of Grinnell and Kathleen Stoakes of Des Moines, IA; three grandchildren, Chris (Martha) Stoakes, Chris (Heather) Coffman and Meggan (Ben Provin) Daseke; five great grandchildren, Will and Nile Stoakes, Caden Dillman and Mercedes and Kira Provin; one half sister, Rinda McClure; and one half brother, Gary Neidiger. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; and two brothers, Norman Chino and Howard Neidiger.