Velma S. “Sheryl” Holden
HOLDEN, JONES, GIFT
Posted By: Sarah Fletcher (email)
Date: 12/21/2016 at 11:09:30
Velma S. “Sheryl” Holden, 73, of Iowa City, died Tuesday, December 20, 2016 at Solon Nursing Care Center.
Mass of Christian Burial will be Wednesday, December 28th at 10:30 AM at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Iowa City. The Very Reverend Rudolph Juarez will officiate. Lunch will follow, with burial after at St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Iowa City. Visitation will be Tuesday, December 27th from 3:30-6:30 PM at Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service in Iowa City.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Alzheimer’s Association or a charitable organization of donor’s choice.
Sheryl was born October 1, 1943 in Jefferson, Iowa, the daughter of Lester and Velma Jones Gift. Lester was a farmer and died in a traffic accident when Sheryl was in first grade. The family lived on a farm near Dallas Center and Sheryl was very active in 4-H and school and church activities.
Sheryl started grade school at Dawson and graduated from Dallas Center High School in 1961, where she played 6v6 basketball in high school. She continued her education at the University of Northern Iowa earning a BA in teaching and took post-graduate classes at Iowa State University.
Sheryl followed after her mother and taught elementary school in Jefferson and Des Moines. On June 22, 1974 Sheryl married Dr. Palmer Holden at the Dallas Center Methodist Church in a joint Catholic/Methodist ceremony. Sheryl continued teaching until her son, Daniel, was born. She became a full-time homemaker until Daniel graduated from high school and then was a substitute teacher in Ames, Ankeny and Des Moines.
In 2007, Sheryl was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. She thought she had a hearing problem because of her difficulty understanding others, but her hearing was normal and Mayo sent her to the memory unit for evaluation. She continued to function normally and drove to shopping and meetings until fall 2011 when Daniel and his wife, April, encouraged Sheryl and Palmer to move to Iowa City to be near them and their grandchildren, Laird and Nadia. Sheryl moved to Bickford Cottage Assisted Care in December 2013 and Solon Retirement Village in March 2016. She enjoyed cooking, baking, spending time with her grandchildren and sharing events and time with her family.
In Ames, Sheryl was a member of St. Cecilia’s Catholic Church circle and choir, the American Legion Auxiliary, the Iowa State University’s Women’s Club – including chair of Tea Room Adventures and president from 2007-2008, and an adult literacy volunteer – receiving the Governor’s Award. In Iowa City, she attended St. Patrick’s Catholic Church. She also could play piano by ear until her Alzheimer’s progressed.
With Palmer’s job as an Animal Science professor at Iowa State University he traveled to national meetings and did international travel and consulting. Sheryl and Daniel often traveled with him, including 27 countries from Costa Rica, to Southeast Asia and Western and Eastern Europe. Their “bucket list” was almost checked off!
Sheryl is survived by her husband, Dr. Palmer Holden of Iowa City; son, Daniel (April) and grandchildren, Laird and Nadia, all of Iowa City; older brothers, “Bill” Gift (Marilyn) and Donald; and several nieces and nephews and grand-nieces and nephews.
Sheryl was preceded in death by her parents.
Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service
Johnson Obituaries maintained by Cindy Booth Maher.
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