VANHEIDEN, Lavern 1935-2014

VANHEIDEN, HARKEN, WEICHERS

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 7/18/2014 at 20:11:22

Lavern "Vern" D. Van Heiden, 79, of Wellsburg, passed away on Wednesday, March 26, 2014 at the Grundy County Memorial Hospital in Grundy Center while under the care of Cedar Valley Hospice. A memorial service will be held on Monday, March 31st at 1:00 P.M. at the St. Paul's Lutheran Church, rural Wellsburg with inurnment to immediately follow at the church cemetery. Memorial visitation will be held on Sunday, March 30th from 2 to 6 P.M. at the Doyen-Abels Funeral Home in Wellsburg. Memorials may be directed to the family.

Vern was born on February 5, 1935 on the family farm in Butler County, Iowa, the son of Ben (Anna) Harken Van Heiden. He attended Butler County country school, attended Bristow High School and graduated from Wellsburg High School in 1954. On June 14, 1956, Vern was united in marriage to Beverly Kay Weichers at the St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Wellsburg. Vern lived and raised his family in Wellsburg. He worked as a drainage contractor after establishing Ross-Van Heiden Tiling Inc. in 1970 with his then partner Willard Ross. He retired in 2007.

He was a longtime member of the St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Wellsburg where he served on the church council, was a former Cub Scout leader and served on the Wellsburg City Council for a number of years. Vern enjoyed fishing, hunting, camping and always looked forward to deer hunting with his friends. Gardening was also a pleasure and at times, frustration. Vern was a hardworking man with a strong work ethic. He took great pride in his family. His family wanted those who knew him to know that he was a big strong man with a soft, gentle heart.

Vern is survived by his wife Kay of Wellsburg; children Marcia Van Heiden of Wellsburg, Paula (Larry) Klosterboer of Newton, Lance (Cindy) Van Heiden of Wellsburg & Sara Van Heiden of Iowa Falls; 9 grandchildren Matthew (Denise) Van Heiden of Holland, Erin Higgins of Grundy Center, Devin Higgins of Eldora, Kayla (Kyle) Simpson of Newton, Evan Klosterboer of Newton, Chelsea (Cory) Voyek of Alden, Ethan Wagner of Eldora and Madison & Cassidy Van Heiden of Wellsburg; 10 great-grandchildren; siblings Jeanette Merrill of Bristow, IA, Jerald (Connie) Van Heiden of Kinsman, IL, Benjamin (Judy) DeVries of Colorado Springs, CO, Richard (Vickie) Van Heiden of Steamboat Rock, IA, Merna (Larry) Lovell of Waverly, IA David (Diane) Van Heiden of Reinbeck, Laurie (Don) Diehm of Reinbeck, Kenneth (Barb) Van Heiden of Cedar Falls, IA; sister-in-law Caroline DeVries of State Center, IA. He was preceded in death by his parents; step-mother Alice Van Heiden; daughter Stacey Van Heiden; brother Jerry DeVries.

--Abels Funeral Homes (www.abelsfuneralhomes.com)