May 2010

Veronica “Vee” Heldt
Veronica “Vee” Heldt, 92, of Hawarden, IA, passed away Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at Hillcrest Health Care Center in Hawarden. Funeral service was held May 14 at Porter Funeral Home in Hawarden with Rev. Dan Lozer officiating. Interment was held at Grace Hill Cemetery.
Veronica “Vee” Opal Wilkison was born May 3, 1918 to Roy and Nellie (Olsen) Wilkison in Hawarden, IA. She graduated from Hawarden High School and was a life long resident of Hawarden. Vee was united in marriage to Harold “Bud” Heldt on January 22, 1942 in Hawarden. Together they operated a very successful John Deere Farm Implement Dealership for many years in Hawarden. Bud passed away February 19, 1997. Vee enjoyed bowling in her early years and especially family functions.
Veronica is survived by her sisters-in-law: Luella Wilkison of Hawarden, IA, Doris Wilkison of Flower Mound, TX, Tig Wilkison of Bartlett, IL and Doris Temple of Kansas City, KS; many nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Harold; brothers: John, Dyson, Lowell “Swede”, Neal, DeRonda, Laurence and Jack Wilkison; sisters: Radah Wegner, Jeanette Weaver and Wanda Kennedy.
Memorials may be directed to Hospice of Siouxland or West Sioux Educational Foundation.

Steve Heeren
Steve Heeren, 59, of rural Akron, Iowa passed away Sunday, May 16, 2010 at his residence following a lengthy illness.
Funeral services will be 10:00 a.m. Thursday, May 20, 2010 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Akron, Iowa. Reverend Carla Nelson of Union Creek Lutheran Church, rural Akron, Iowa will officiate. Burial will follow in Union Creek Lutheran Cemetery, rural Akron.
Steven Ray Heeren was born October 9, 1950 in Akron, Iowa, the son of Raymond and June (Moir) Heeren. Steve was baptized and confirmed at Union Creek Lutheran Church. He attended country school in Union County, South Dakota and later high in Akron. He graduated from Akron High School in 1968. As a young child, Steven enjoyed helping his family on the farm and milking cows.
He was united in marriage to Lillian Taylor on January 20, 1979 at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Akron. Steve and Lilli continued farming in Union County, South Dakota. Steve also owned and operated a dairy farm near his home. Whether it was milking his beloved Holstein cows or windrowing and baling alfalfa, farming was Steve’s life.
Steve has been a lifetime fan of the New York Yankees, as a youth, he kept stats on the Yankee players from his wheelchair, and he knew exactly where they were on the field as they played the game. He enjoyed watching Western movies, especially those with John Wayne. But most of all, Steve loved the times with his family, especially his children and grandchildren. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.
Survivors include his wife of over 31 years, Lilli of rural Akron; his parents: Ray and June Heeren of rural Akron; his seven children: Derek Heeren (Deana) and their children, Taylor, Dakota, Lakin, and Zoe of Akron, Heather Heeren of Akron, Jessica Jacobson (Darren) and their children, Cooper, Berklie, and Karston of Big Springs, SD (Alcester), Lindsay Heeren of Le Mars, IA, Matt Heeren of rural Akron, Kelsey Heeren of rural Akron, and Ethan Heeren of rural Akron; his siblings: Rob Heeren (Deb) of Alcester, Janet Willer (Grayling) of rural Akron, and Mark Heeren (Michelle) of rural Akron; and several nieces, nephews, cousins, and in-laws.
He was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents: Wesley and Marie Heeren; his maternal grandparents: Carl and MayBelle Moir; and his father and mother in law: Daryl and Julia Taylor.

Virginia Solberg
Virginia Solberg, 87, of rural Alcester, died Tuesday, May 25, 2010, at Sanford Vermillion Care Center in Vermillion. Funeral services were held May 28 at Roseni Lutheran Church, rural Beresford.
Virginia was born December 7, 1922 to Alfred and Jennie (Nielsen) Jacobsen in Yankton.
Virginia was raised in the Gayville area, attending country school and graduating from Gayville High School. She got her teaching certificate from Springfield Teachers College and taught at Whitehall country school, Gayville, Centerville and Star country school. She met Raymond Solberg in 1943 and they married on June 30, 1952. Virginia was an active gardener and liked sewing and embroidery. She cared for her mother for 14 years before her death in 1995.
Her parents preceded her in death.
She is survived by her husband, Raymond of Alcester; son and daughter-in-law, Kevin and Patricia of Vermillion; two grandchildren, Jenelle and James of Vermillion; and two brothers, Harlan Jacobsen of Scottsdale, AZ and Marlow Jacobsen of Wenatchee, WA.

Susanna Hofer
Susanna Hofer, 67, of Beresford, died Wednesday, May 26, 2010 at Bethesda of Beresford. Funeral services were held May 29 at Brooklyn Evangelical Free Church in Beresford.
Susanna “Sue” Hofer was born May 16, 1943 at Tschetter Colony to Jacob and Mary Hofer.
Sue lived at Tschetter Colony until she moved to Beresford in 2002. She took care of her parents until their deaths. In May 2003, Susanna was employed by The Visiting Angels and was sent to assist Vera and Casper Voog where she worked a few months. Sue was hospitalized and treated for cancer and after a brief recuperation, she returned to the Voog residence where she lived and worked until March 2009. Following Casper Voog’s death, Sue was employed at Bethesda of Beresford from September 2005 and spent four years there. She loved her work.
Sue was attending Brooklyn Evangelical Free Church when she accepted the Lord as her personal Savior. In September 2007, Sue accompanied Vera Voog to California. This was her first airplane ride and she enjoyed her three weeks visiting with the family of Vera’s daughter, JoAnn.
In March of 2009, Susanna left the Voog residence and moved into her own apartment where she remained until illness forced her to return to stay with her sister, Rebecca Decker.
Her parents; infant brother, George; brother, John Hofer; sister-in-law, Lena Hofer; brother-in-law, Dave Wurtz and nephew, George Decker preceded her in death.
She is survived by her three sisters, Maria (Sam) Waldner of Raymond, Hilda Wurtz of Mount Upton, NY and Rebecca (George) Decker of Alcester; four brothers, Jacob Hofer, George (Rachel) Hofer, Richard (Lizzie) Hofer all of Olivet, and Toby Hofer of Sioux Falls; sister-in-law, Lydia Hofer of Lamberton, MN; four aunts in Canada, one uncle, Mike (Anna) Hofer of Arlington, and a big family of cousins, nieces, nephews and friends.

Robert Toren
Robert Toren, 55, formerly of Alcester, died May 14, 2010 at Alpharetta, GA.
Robert was born May 11, 1945 in Denver, CO. he married Kathie Carlson in St. Paul, MN in June 1967 and after graduating from college he attended Bethel Seminary and graduated in 1972.
Preaching was what Bob believed God called him to do, and in November 1972 the couple moved to Alcester where Bob became Pastor of the Alcester Baptist Church for 5-1/2 years. While in Alcester the couple had three children; Rachel, Ann and David.
Bob also helped start a new wrestling program at the Alcester High School and served as an Emergency Medical Technician.
In 1978 Bob and Kathie moved their family to Grantsburg, WI where Bob served as Pastor of Grace Baptist Church.
In 2002 Bob began to show signs of weakness in his right arm and leg, which was later confirmed to be the development of ALS, Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
On May 14, 2010, the Lord called Bob to Heaven. Memorial services were held in Alpharetta, GA.
Bob is survived by his wife, Kathy; three children and four grandchildren.

Donald G. Hammitt
Donald G. Hammitt was born April 28, 1917 in Alcester, and died May 29, 2010 in Tacoma, WA. He was retired from the Air Force after 27 years of service as a pilot and air traffic controller. Don was an avid golfer, fisherman and hunter. He enjoyed many years wintering in Arizona and taking trips and cruises.
Those who lovingly shared his life are his former wives Audrey and Ruth who preceded him in death. He is survived by his wife Margaret; son John and wife Kathy of Beresford; 3 grandchildren, 5 great grandchildren, 3 step-children and their families; one brother Bob and wife Grace of Alcester; and one sister Connie Vetoes and husband Don of Yuma, AZ. He was preceded in death by 3 sisters and his parents.
A memorial service was held June 4 in Washington and a committal of cremated remains will take place at Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Alcester at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, June 28.