Rebecca E. Vermilyea 1945 - 2018

VERMILYEA, OLSON, HUTCHINS

Posted By: Connie Swearingen -Volunteer (email)
Date: 4/17/2018 at 15:17:16

Sioux City Journal
10 January 2018

Rebecca E. Vermilyea, 72, of Sioux City, passed away Jan. 2, 2018 from complications of Alzheimer’s.

Services will be 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 13 at Meyer Brothers Morningside Chapel. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the funeral home. Online condolences may be directed to meyerbroschapels.com. The family would like to thank the staff at Sunrise Retirement Center for their wonderful care. In lieu of flowers donations may be directed to the Alzheimer’s Association or Sunrise Retirement Center Memory Care.

Becky was born July 17, 1945 at St. Luke’s Hospital in Sioux City, the daughter of Elliott Olson and Maxine Hutchins. She was baptized and confirmed at Skien Lutheran Church in Albaton, Iowa. Becky graduated from Westwood High School in 1963 where she was homecoming queen, captain of the cheerleading squad, class secretary and participated in vocal music. She was awarded the Honor Society designation with a four-year cumulative grade point of 3.93.

She married her high school sweetheart, John Vermilyea and they headed to Morningside College where Becky supported John’s education. She was a bookkeeper during these years as the young couple started their family to include a son, Mark and a daughter, Lori. As the children reached their teen years, Becky continued her education at Morningside on an academic scholarship. She also played #1 on the women’s tennis team and at age 37, was second in the conference tournament. In 1982 she was awarded the “M” club women’s scholar athlete of the year. Becky graduated Cum Laude and was a Roadman Scholar in mathematics/education. She used her degree to do substitute teaching and she taught and tutored at the Florence/Crittenton Center which she really enjoyed.

Becky was a loving and compassionate wife, mother, sister, and friend. She was truly nonjudgmental. There was nothing more important to her than family and she is survived by her husband, John; two children, Mark Vermilyea and Lori (Kevin) Vanderlinden; three grandchildren, Brett Vermilyea, Kate Vermilyea and Ella Vanderlinden; one sister, Julie Casavant; one sister-in-law, Joan (Lloyd) Tresham; step-grandchildren; and nieces and nephews.

Becky was preceded in death by her parents; an older sister, Toni Snodgrass and mother-in-law, Helen Vermilyea.