Vernon "Vern" C. Van Cleve 1928-2008

VAN CLEVE, FISHER, WITTENMYER, BAUMHOVER, FREEMAN, LEESEKEMP, SNOTHORSE

Posted By: cheryl moonen (email)
Date: 3/22/2018 at 15:01:26

Telegraph Herald (Dubuque, IA) - Sunday, December 28, 2008

Vern C. Van Cleve, 80, of Dubuque, died suddenly Monday, Dec. 22, 2008, at The Finley Hospital, Dubuque.

Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Dec. 29, at Resurrection Catholic Church, with the Rev. Joseph Hauer officiating. Burial will be in Dubuque Memorial Gardens, south of Dubuque, where military rites will be accorded by the Dubuque Marine Corps. League. Friends may call from 3 to 8 p.m. today at Hoffmann Schneider & Kitchen Funeral Home, 3860 Asbury Road, where there will be a wake service at 3 p.m.

He was born on Feb. 12, 1928, in Homuston, son of Charles and Fanny Maude (Fisher) Van Cleve. He was raised in the Annie Wittenmyer orphans' home with his other siblings in Davenport, Iowa.

At the age of 16, Vern enlisted in the Marine Corps and proudly served his country from 1944 to 1946. He received a Purple Heart for his actions in the Pacific islands during World War II. He also was a proud member of the Dubuque Marine Corps League.

He married Ruth E. Baumhover on July 25, 1953, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church.

Vern was a dedicated elevator inspector for the state of Iowa for 16 years before he retired.

He was a passionate supporter of Hempstead athletics for more than 20 years. Vern received several awards for volunteer work at Hempstead. He received the First Cleaver Award for his devoted service to Hempstead wrestling. This award now is being handed out annually. Vern was inducted into the Hempstead Hall of Fame during its inaugural class in the spring of 2005. He was further honored in the Softball Hall of Fame and the Kiwanis Fast Pitch Softball Hall of Fame.

Vern enjoyed woodworking, and made many beanbag games of his own design. He loved to help his family with projects, and could fix about anything. He dearly loved his family and went to great lengths to support all of his grandchildren and attend their sporting events. He enjoyed speaking to schools about growing up in the orphanage and during the Great Depression.

Surviving are his wife, Ruth, of Dubuque; five children, Charles (Sharla) Van Cleve and Randal (Cindy) Van Cleve, both of Dubuque, Candice (Dan) Freeman, of Overland Park, Kan., Gary (Tammy) Van Cleve, of Asbury, and Chad ( Jennifer) Van Cleve, of the Netherlands; eight grandchildren, Shanelle (Brian), Sasha, Genevieve (Will), Devin, Lindsey, Casey, Megan and Luke; three great-grandchildren, Kyle, Hailey and Conner; a brother, Ronald Van Cleve, of California; two sisters, Mary (Leo) Leesekemp, of Anamosa, Iowa, and Jane Snothorse, of Des Moines; and a sister-in-law, Dorothy Van Cleve, of Davenport.

He was preceded in death by an infant daughter, Frances; his brothers and sisters, Phoebe, Shirley, Helen, Odessa, Joe and Gerry; and a sister-in-law, Betty Van Cleve.

Memorials may be given to the Vern C. Van Cleve Memorial Fund.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.hoffmannschneiderfuneralhomes.com.

Vern's family would like to extend a special thank-you to the Asbury Police Department and Asbury Paramedic Rescue Squad for their help in this difficult time.