MEESTER, Ivadell 1927-2012

MEESTER, MUHRING, SIEMSEN, SHAW

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 7/25/2012 at 09:31:21

Ivadell Meester, 85, of Grundy Center, passed away on Wednesday, May 23, 2012 at the Parkview Manor in Reinbeck while under the care of Cedar Valley Hospice. A funeral service will be held on Saturday, May 26th, 2:00 P.M. at Bethany Presbyterian Church in Grundy Center. Visitation will be one hour prior to services at the church. Burial will follow funeral services at Rosehill Cemetery in Grundy Center. Memorials may be directed to the family.

Ivadell was born on March 5, 1927, in Grundy Center, Iowa, the daughter of Arthur & Anna (Muhring) Siemsen. She was raised on the family farm in Lincoln with her brother Wilbur and sister Alice. After graduating from High School, Ivadell worked in retail at the Black's Dry Goods Department store in Waterloo. She married Daniel Meester on May 26, 1953 at the Little Brown church in Nashua. The couple blended two families together and welcomed daughter Kim. Ivadell and Daniel owned and operated the Grundy Café in Grundy Center for a number of years. She later sold the business after Daniel passed away in 1969 and she then worked for Cech's Grocery Store and Rewerts & Phelps Implement in Grundy Center. She retired and started spending her winters in Texas and her summers in Canada with her companion, Peter Makahoniuk.

Ivadell was a member of Bethany Presbyterian Church, the Rebekah's and the Women's Club of Grundy Center. She enjoyed traveling, visiting several continents including Europe, Canada and Mexico. She also enjoyed reading, knitting and when she could no longer travel, she loved to watch the "Rick Steves" show on IPTV, a travel show where she could enjoy "visiting" places all over the world from her own living room.

She is survived by her children Gene (Tanis) Shaw of Lancaster, PA, JR (Linda) Shaw of Houston, TX and Kathryn "Kim" (Duane) Swenka of Waterloo, IA; step-children Lorene Adkins of San Antonio, TX, Mary Jo (Roger) Elmore of Kirkland, WA and James (Marian) Meester of Grundy Center; grandchildren Mike (Anne) Meester, Jill (Al) Guetzlaff, Jennifer (Keith) Ott, Richard (Jeannette) Elmore, Daniel Elmore, Andrew Shaw, Ashley Shaw, Nathan Shaw, Jay Shaw, Jed Shaw, Justin (Shannon) Shaw, Danielle (Dan) Sheldon and Dennis "DJ" (Staci) Johnson; step-grandchildren Melissa, Alicea, Jakeb & Sierra Swenka; 11 great-grandchildren. Ivadell was preceded in death by her first husband Harry Shaw; step-son Duane Meester; grandson Peter Shaw; great-grandson Seth Wyatt Sheldon; brother Wilbur Siemsen & sister Alice Diehl.