Rev. Father Victor Francis RAMAEKER

RAMAEKER, SMITH, MILLER

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 2/10/2024 at 13:06:46

June 17, 1935 --- March 30, 2021

Mass of Christian Burial for Father Victor Ramaeker will be celebrated at 1:30 P.M. on Wednesday, April 7, 2021, at St. Michael's Catholic Church in Whittemore, Iowa with Bishop Walker Nickless celebrating and Fr. Edward Girres, Fr. Bradley Pelzel, Msgr. Kevin McCoy and Fr. Matthew Solyntjes concelebrating and Fr. Daniel Greving as homolist. Visitation will be Wednesday, April 7, 2021, from 11:30 A.M. - 1:30 P.M. at St. Michael's Catholic Church. Burial will be at St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery in Humboldt, Iowa.

Fr. Victor Francis Ramaeker was born June 17, 1935, in Spalding, Nebraska, the youngest of 10 children of the late Gertrude (Smith) and Fred J. Ramaeker of Humboldt, Iowa died on Tuesday, March 30, 2021. He had suffered a heart attack on March 4, while a resident of Windsor Manor in Algona, Iowa, and was hospitalized at Kossuth Regional Health Center for a brief time. He became a resident of the Good Samaritan Society - Algona, Iowa until the time of his death.

He attended St. Michael Catholic grade school in Spalding, Nebraska, St. Joseph grade school in Carroll, Iowa, and graduated from Jefferson Public High School in Jefferson, Iowa, in 1953. He attended Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, and after graduation entered the seminary at Mt. St. Bernard in Dubuque, Iowa. He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Joseph M. Mueller at the Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City, Iowa, on May 27, 1961.

He received a Masters Degree in Education with emphasis on administration of schools in Iowa (K thru Jr. College) from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, in August 1969. To become fluent in Spanish, he spent the summers of 1963 and 1964 at the El Instituto Mexicano Norteamericano de Relaciones Culturales in Mexico City, Mexico.

He served the Diocese of Sioux City in the following:
1961-1966 Faculty, Kuemper Catholic High School, Carroll, Iowa.

1966-1971 Principal at St. John High School, Bancoft, Iowa.

1971-1976 Superintendent-Principal of O'Gorman High School,
Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

1974-1976 Pastor, St. Joseph Parish, Emmett, South Dakota.

1976-1991 Bishop Heelan High School, Sioux City, Iowa.
1976-1978 Academic Principal
1978-1991 Superintendent

1991-1999 Pastor, St. Ann Parish, Vail, Iowa.

1999-2017 Pastor, St. Michael's Parish, Whittemore, Iowa

He is survived by one sister, Sr. LaVerne M. Ramaeker, FSPA, in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. He was preceded in death by his parents: Fred J. and Gertrude Ramaeker, Humboldt, Iowa. His five brothers: Arthur (Grace) Ramaeker, Chicago Heights, Illinois; Andrew (Shirley) Ramaeker, Goldfield, Iowa; David (Virginia) Ramaeker, Mountain Grove, Missouri; Elmer (Jeanette) Ramaeker, Humboldt, Iowa, and Paul (Loretta) Ramaeker, Tucson, Arizona; and three sisters: Claire (Alvin) Miller, McHenry, Illinois; Sr. Mary James Ramaekers, FSPA, LaCrosse, Wisconsin, and Bernice (Gerald) Miller, McHenry, Illinois.

https://www.oakcrestfuneralservices.com/obituary/578814/reverend-victor-f.-ramaeker/