Bena Annie (Olsen) WIEMANN

WIEMANN, OLSEN, OLSON, WESSELS, STEENBLOCK, FLATEN, SCHLICHTING, MILLER, FEKKERS, JORDAN, KILLIUS

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 5/19/2010 at 19:04:10

May 25, 2006
Mason City Globe Gazette, Iowa

BELMOND, IA — Funeral services for Bena A. Wiemann, 95, of Belmond, will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at the First Reformed Church in Alexander with the Pastor Phil Arnold officiating. Interment will be in the Alexander Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. today at Dugger Ewing Funeral Home, 111 Luick’s Lane S. in Belmond, and one hour prior to services on Friday at the church.

Bena A. Wiemann, 95, of Belmond, passed away Tuesday (May 23, 2006) at the Belmond Health Care Center in Belmond. Bena Annie Olsen was born Sept. 23, 1910, to Ole and Bena (Wessels) Olsen near Clear Lake. In her early childhood, she attended country school in the Meservey-Thornton area and worked for neighboring families. On March 26, 1929, she married John Wiemann. To this union, 10 children were born. John and Bena farmed in the Alexander area all their married life except for three years when they lived near Rockwell. John died on Aug. 7, 1960, with four dependent children still at home. Bena and her family moved to Belmond in 1962, where she cooked at the nursing home and Chapman’s Truck Stop, cleaned homes, baked rolls, did sewing and mending, quilted and babysat. She was a good and faithful member of Bethany Reformed Church in Belmond. Bena was a patient, caring person who always had room for visitors at her table. She was noted for serving pancakes, caramel rolls, meatloaf and fried potatoes among other family favorites. She led by example and was not a person to worry. Every new baby was regaled as a miracle. She was a common-sense person who didn’t try to impress people and felt “if you couldn’t say anything good about a person, then don’t say anything at all.” Bena enjoyed trips whether on a bus tour, flying or driving for herself or others. She was a member of various card clubs and loved playing games. Bena was an avid fan of NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon. She was an excellent joke teller. Many remarked that she was “the living history book” for her family.

Bena Wiemann is survived by her children, Orville (DeLores) of Wisconsin, Roger (Judy) of Belmond, Marjorie (Ronald) Steenblock of Belmond, David of Knoxville, Robert (Cheryl) of Webster City, Barbara (Roger) Flaten of Britt, Dennis (Pam) of Norwalk, Janet Kay (Merlin) Schlichting of Britt; a son-in-law, L. Kennard Miller, of Arizona; a daughter-in-law, Maria Wiemann, of Illinois; 38 grandchildren; 63 great-grandchildren; and seven great-great-grandchildren. Also left to cherish Bena’s memory is her sister-in-law, Effie Olson, of Belmond; as well as five nieces and three nephews. Bena was preceded in death by her husband, John; daughter, Helen Miller, in 2000; and son, Lester, in 2000; two grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; her parents; her brother, Arnie Olson; as well as two stepfathers, Henry Fekkers Sr. and John Jordan; and two brothers-in-law and their wives, Alfred and Ruth Wieman, and Klass Wiemann and Evelyn Wiemann Killius. Dugger Ewing Funeral Home.