Alta Rozeltha Hesse 1927-2012

HESSE RONFELDT DAVIS

Posted By: Connie Swearingen-Volunteer (email)
Date: 6/15/2012 at 21:11:59

Sioux City Journal
March 25, 2012

MAPLETON, Iowa -- Alta R. Hesse, 84, of Mapleton, formerly of Smithland, Iowa, passed away with family members at her side, Thursday, March 22, 2012 at Maple Heights Nursing Home in Mapleton.

Services will be 10 a.m. Monday at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Mapleton, with the Rev. Scott Jensen officiating. Burial will follow in Little Sioux Township Cemetery at Smithland, Iowa. Visitation will be after 5 p.m. today, with the family present 6 to 8 p.m., and a prayer service at 7 p.m., at Armstrong Funeral Home in Mapleton. The obituary can be found and online condolences can be directed to the family at armstrongfuneral.com.

Alta Rozeltha Hesse was born Oct. 26, 1927, in rural Climbing Hill, Iowa, the daughter of Charles Russell and Ethel (Ronfeldt) Davis. She grew up in the Climbing Hill area, where she attended school, graduating from Climbing Hill High School at the young age of 16. She attended Wayne State College earning her teacher's certificate and started teaching country school in the Climbing Hill area.

On June 29, 1946, Alta was united in marriage to Alvie Hesse on Alta's parents' farm near Smithland, Iowa. The couple first lived at Anthon, Iowa, and soon started farming near Smithland. The family moved in to Smithland, where they resided for 54 years with two years in California. Alvie and Alta made their current home in Mapleton since 2004.

She was a member of St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Mapleton. She was also a proud member of the American Legion Auxiliary Leslie Seaton Unit No. 0666 of Smithland. Her family recalls the many times she enlisted their help in putting up the flags early morning for Memorial Day. Alta worked as the Smithland City Clerk for a time and was a secretary with the Westwood School District for 25 years. She loved to feed people, always raising a big garden which she carefully canned and froze. She also sold her garden harvest to Loe's Produce in Sioux City. She sold Tupperware products as well. She was a champion marble player and in her retirement years, Alta enjoyed quilting with the ladies of St. Matthew.

Those family members left to cherish their memories of Alta include Alvie, her husband of 65 years; seven children, Pat Adamson and her husband Paul of Sioux City, Alan Hesse and his wife Cindy of Council Bluffs, Iowa, Keith Hesse and his wife Eileen of Mapleton, Gayle Madsen of Sioux City, Susan Gulick and her husband Bob of Olathe, Kan., Diana Schmidt and her husband David of St. Joseph, Mo., and Dr. Curtis Hesse of Mapleton; 18 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; one brother, Robert Davis and his wife Charlotte of Broomfield, Colo.; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed in Alta's name to St. Matthew Lutheran Chuch in Mapleton and Hospice of Siouxland.