Velva Shea, 91 years old, of Remsen, IA died Monday, Nov. 10, 2014 at Floyd Valley Hospital in LeMars, IA.
Funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m., Friday, Nov. 14, 2014, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Remsen with Rev. William McCarthy officiating. Burial will be in the St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery in Remsen. Visitation will be anytime after 4 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 13, 2014. There will be a parish rosary at 5 p.m., and a vigil prayer service at 7 p.m., all at Fisch Funeral Home & Monument in Remsen.
Velva was born on April 23, 1923, at Hughson, CA the daughter of Harry H. & Rhoda (Dean) Alexander. She was raised in Tucson, AZ and attended The University of Arizona before joining Women’s Army Air Corps during WWII, where she met her husband Gerald Shea. The couple married June 26, 1945 at Remsen, IA. She then taught country school before starting a family. After Gerald’s death in 1965 she returned to college to complete her degree at Westmar College in LeMars. She then taught remedial reading at Remsen St. Mary’s and taught 2nd grade at Remsen-Union for 20 years until her retirement in 1988.
Velva was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church and church guild, National Education Association and Catholic Daughters of America. She loved reading, gardening and travel.
Survivors include: her eight children, Donald (Mary) Shea of LeMars, IA, Barbara Shea of Des Moines, IA, Betty Shea of Altoona, IA, Marilyn Music and special friend Gary Jungers of Council Bluffs, IA, Patricia (Kevin) Kelley of Elko, NV, Kathleen (Bob) Peterson of Altoona, IA, Geraldine (Sean) Peters of Fredericksburg, VA, Julie Shea of Sioux City, IA; 12 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; two sisters-in-law, Clara Kayser of LeMars, IA, Carol (Clyde) Schuttpelz of LeMars, IA; one brother-in-law, Paul (Shirley) Shea of Marcus, IA.
Preceded in death by her parents, 11 siblings and numerous brothers and sisters-in-law and numerous nieces and nephews.
Casket Bearers will be Christopher, Shawn and Clayton Shea, Nicholas Hazel, Justin Brown and Nathan Peterson.