Shea, Velva 1923-2014

SHEA, DEAN, ALEXANDER

Posted By: Linda Ziemann, volunteer (email)
Date: 6/24/2015 at 18:16:11

LeMars Sentinel
Thursday, November 13, 2014

Velva Shea, 91, of Remsen, died Monday, Nov. 10, 2014, at Floyd Valley Hospital, in Le Mars.

Velva was born April 23, 1923, at Hughson, Calif., the daughter of Harry H. and Rhoda (Dean) Alexander. She was raised in Tucson, Ariz.

She attended The University of Arizona before joining Women's Army Air Corps during World War II, where she met her husband Gerald Shea. The couple married June 26, 1945 at Remsen.

She then taught country school before starting a family. After Gerald's death in 1965 she returned to college to complete her degree at Westmar College in Le Mars. She then taught remedial reading at Remsen St. Mary's and taught second grade at Remsen-Union for 20 years until her retirement in 1988.

Velva was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church and church guild, National Education Association and Catholic Daughters of America.

She loved reading, gardening and travel.

Survivors include: her eight children, Donald (Mary) Shea, of Le Mars, Barbara Shea, of Des Moines, Betty Shea, of Altoona, Marilyn Music and special friend Gary Jungers, of Council Bluffs, Patricia (Kevin) Kelley, of Elko, Nev., Kathleen (Bob) Peterson, of Altoona, Geraldine (Sean) Peters, of Fredericksburg, Va., and Julie Shea, of Sioux City; 12 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; two sisters-in-law, Clara Kayser, of Le Mars, Carol (Clyde) Schuttpelz; one brother-in-law, Paul (Shirley) Shea, of Marcus.

She was preceded in death by her parents; 11 siblings and numerous brothers and sisters-in-law and numerous nieces and nephews.

Funeral service were at 10:30 a.m. today (Friday) at St. Mary's Catholic Church, in Remsen, with the Rev. William McCarthy officiating. Burial was in St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery, in Remsen. Graveside military honors were conducted by V.F.W Post 3328 and American Legion Post 220 of Remsen. Visitation was anytime after 4 p.m. Thursday, with a parish rosary at 5 p.m., and a vigil prayer service at 7 p.m., all at Fisch Funeral Home & Monument, in Remsen.

Casket Bearers were Christopher, Shawn and Clayton Shea, Nicholas Hazel, Justin Brown and Nathan Peterson.