Varenhorst, Mrs. Elmer (Cleone Peters) 1928-2011

VARENHORST, PETERS, UTESCH, FLOY, JURGENSON

Posted By: Janet Schuldt, Volunteer (email)
Date: 7/7/2011 at 14:43:39

Tuesday, July 5, 2011 Le Mars Sentinel, Le Mars, Plymouth, Iowa, USA

Cleone Varenhorst, 83, of Le Mars, died Wednesday, June 29, 2011, at Floyd Valley Hospital in Le Mars.

Cleone Maxlynn Peters was born March 20, 1928, on the family farm near Craig, the daughter of Henry and Hannah (Utesch) Peters. As an infant, Cleone was baptized into the Lutheran faith and later confirmed at St. John Lutheran Church in Le Mars.

Cleone attended country school and graduated from Le Mars Central High School. Following high school, she continued her education at a business school in Des Moines. Cleone was united in marriage to Elmer Varenhorst on Feb. 16, 1949, at St. John Lutheran Church in Le Mars. Cleone and Elmer farmed in Johnson Township until retirement in 1995 when they moved to Le Mars. Elmer passed away on April 2, 2000. In June of 2007, Cleone moved to the Good Samaritan Society in Le Mars.

Cleone enjoyed cooking, shopping, and family. She loved to spend time with her children and grandchildren.

Survivors include her two sons, David of Le Mars, and Dan and Cherie of Le Mars and their children, Matt of Columbia, Mo., Lisa of Sioux Falls, S.D., and Kent and his fiancée, Samantha Floy of Overland Park, Kan.; three sisters-in-law, Lois Varenhorst, Eva Varenhorst, and Katherine "Sis" Varenhorst, all of Le Mars; and several nieces, nephews, and cousins.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Henry and Hannah (Utesch) Peters; husband Elmer Varenhorst; three sisters-in-law, Beverly Jurgenson, Helen Varenhorst, and Myrna Varenhorst; brothers-in-law, Norman Varenhorst, Bob Jurgenson, William Varenhorst, Fritz Varenhorst, Erwin Varenhorst, and Harry Varenhorst.

Funeral services were 10:30 a.m. today (Tuesday) at St. Paul Lutheran Church, rural Merrill, with the Rev. Dawn Quame of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Akron, officiating. Internment will be in Memorial Cemetery, Le Mars. A time of fellowship and lunch followed the internment service at the Carlsen Funeral Home in Le Mars. Visitation with the family present was from 3-6 p.m. Monday at the Carlsen Funeral Home in Le Mars. Visitation continued Tuesday morning from 9:30 a.m. until service time at the church.

Pallbearers were Matt Varenhorst, Lisa Varenhorst, Kent Varenhorst, Rich Ellefson, Jerry Varenhorst, Jay Toel, Bruce Kruse, and Mark Brown.