Vione J. (Draves) WUERFLEIN

DRAVES, WUERFLEIN, ENGER, FITZGERALD, RUBLE, THOMPSON, VANGEN, ANDERSON

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 3/23/2008 at 11:58:20

Albert Lea Tribune, Minnesota
March 21, 2008

Vione Wuerflein, 93, Albert Lea

Funeral services for Vione J. (Draves) Wuerflein, of Albert Lea, will be at 4 p.m. Saturday at Our Father’s House, Albert Lea. The Rev. Kip Jentoft will officiate. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. today at Bonnerup Funeral Service and one hour before service at the church. Interment will be in Hillcrest Cemetery. Vione died Wednesday, March 19, 2008, at her home. She was 93 years old.

Vione was born in Dows, Iowa, on July 6, 1914, to George and Anna (Enger) Draves. She was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith. Vione’s mother died when she was 1 1/2 years old leaving Vione and three sisters ages 12, 10, and 4 years old. In 1918, Vione moved with her family to Blooming Prairie. George married Nellie Fitzgerald in 1919, giving Vione a stepmother and later another sister and brother. Vione attended high school in Blooming Prairie. On July 23, 1932, she was married to Milford L. Wuerflein in Newry. Milford and Vione moved from the Blooming Prairie area to Hanlontown, Iowa, then to St. Paul, and then to Mansfield where Milford was the butter maker for 13 years. In 1950 they moved to Albert Lea. Vione has lived in the home they purchased for 52 years.

In recent years Vione has been part of the loving family of Our Father’s House. Vione worked for many years at Brownie’s Bakery, The Bible Book Store and the Gamble Store. Vione was a wonderful cook and homemaker. She enjoyed quilting, did beautiful egg art, making wedding cake tops for many of the grandchildren. She and Milford enjoyed “rock hounding,” collecting and working with gemstones to make many beautiful pieces of jewelry and other things. They were active members of the Albert Lea Petra Society and the Austin Gem and Mineral Society. Vione was an avid reader, enjoyed watching Twins baseball games, enjoyed gardening inside and out, and most of all enjoyed time with family.

She is survived by her daughter, Maureen Ruble, and husband Glenn of Albert Lea; one son, Jerome Wuerflein, and wife, DeLoris of Albert Lea; daughters: Frances Thompson of Albert Lea and Julianne Vangen of Howard Lake; 15 grandchildren; many great- and great-great- grandchildren; one brother, George Draves of Hayfield; one brother-in-law, Luverne Anderson of San Antonio, Texas; one sister-in-law, Blanche Wuerflein of Winona; and several nieces and nephews. Vione was preceded in death by her husband Milford in 1996; her parents; stepmother; one grandson, Milford L. Wuerflein II; one son-in-law, Gary Vangen; four sisters; and one infant brother.