Bessie Anna (Meints) KADUCE

KADUCE, MEINTS, KIELMAN, GOBELI, VANHORN, VITERI, HALL, GOMEZ, HILL, LANE, RINK, CARLSON, ANDERSON, WEAVER

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 12/26/2006 at 21:47:19

Bessie Anna Kaduce, 94, a lifelong resident of the Belmond-Meservey area, died Tuesday (Oct. 16, 2001) at the Muse-Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit in Mason City. Bessie Meints was born Sept. 14, 1907, on her parent's farm in Avery Township, Hancock County, near Meservey, the daughter of Abner and Grace (Kielman) Meints. She attended rural school. Bessie married Johannes "Joe" Kaduce on Sept. 13, 1930, at the Reformed Church parsonage in Klemme. Following their marriage, the couple farmed with Joe's brother on a farm that the brothers had purchased together. In addition to farming with her husband, Bessie was a lifelong homemaker. She had worked in housekeeping at the Belmond hospital from the mid-1950s to the mid-1970s when she retired. Bessie and Joe moved to Belmond following Joe's retirement from farming in 1964. They lived for a number of years in their own home before becoming residents of the Leinbach Center Retirement complex in Belmond, where she had lived for the last 15 years. Her husband preceded her in death on June 20, 1998. Most of Bessie's life centered on her husband, siblings, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren and friends. Bessie loved hosting family dinners, holidays and various other family gatherings. She always kept track of birthdays and other special occasions in her family's lives. A favorite activity was visiting over tea, cookies and cake with her friends and family. She loved canning, baking and dining out. She and her husband had enjoyed traveling and had been to many places, including Hawaii and Florida. They also enjoyed going dancing at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake. Bessie received her "honorary" high school diploma from Meservey High School at age 90. She was known by everyone as "Grandma," and her grandchildren considered her their best friend. Bessie was a lifelong member of the Reformed Church, attending both in Meservey and at Immanuel Reformed Church in Belmond.

Those left to cherish the memory of her life are her two daughters, Marlene and Leonard Gobeli and Cynthia Sanders, all of Mason City; her grandchildren, James and Jody Gobeli, Douglas Gobeli, Dale and Kim Gobeli , Jeffrey Gobeli, and Laura and Alfredo Viteri, Teresa and Chip VanHorn, Gregory Hall, Monica and Carlos Gomez, Melissa and Kirk Hill, Lisa and Dave Lane, Matt and Kristie Rink and Tony and Ann Carlson; great-grandchildren, Lance, Jennifer, Timothy, Jesse and Jake Gobeli, Ashley, Zachery and Mallory Lane, Elizabeth and Ericka Anderson, Anna and Jenna VanHorn, Amelia Viteri, Joshua, Allysa and Alexandra Hill, Courtney and Haley Rink, Grant Carlson and Joey Hall; and four great-great-grandchildren, Irie, Tatin, Hunter and Vincent. She also is survived by many, many, nieces and nephews. Bessie was preceded in death by her parents, Abner and Grace; her husband, Joe; her daughter, Mavis Weaver; an infant brother, Herman; three great-grandchildren, Micheal Dale Gobeli, Bess Amanda VanHorn and Charles Anthony Carlson; brothers, Alfred, Abbie and Herman Sr.; sisters, Minnie, Amanda, Elizabeth, Gertie, Irma and Grace; and a son-in-law, Bud Weaver. Funeral services are set for 10:30 a.m. today at Immanuel Reformed Church in Belmond, with Pastor Robert Ford officiating. Burial will be in the Immanuel Church Cemetery in Belmond. Visitation was held on Friday at the Tenold Funeral Home in Belmond and will continue from 9:30 a.m. until time of services today at the church. Memorials may be given to Hospice of North Iowa or to a cause of the donor's choice. Tenold Funeral Home.