VERA WILLEMSSEN GOLDHORN, 99, of Cherokee, Iowa, passed away Tuesday Morning, April 9, 2013 at her home south of Cherokee.

Funeral services will be held on Monday, April 15th, at 10:30 a.m. at the Memorial Presbyterian Church in Cherokee. Rev. Ethan Sayler will officiate. Burial will be in the Oak Hill Cemetery at Cherokee. There will be a family prayer service at 10:15 a.m. at the church on Monday. Visitation will be on Sunday from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. with the family present from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. at the Boothby Funeral Home in Cherokee. There will be Order of Eastern Star services on Sunday at 4 p.m. at the Boothby Funeral Home. Online condolences can be left at www.boothbyfuneral.com

Vera was born on December 24, 1913 at George, Iowa to Anton "Tony" Ulfert Willemssen & Gertrude "Maggie" Buisker Willemssen. She attended George Public Schools graduating in 1929 and then Normal Training Summer School. She taught rural school near George, Iowa for three years. She was married to Alvin E. Goldhorn on June 22, 1938 at George, Iowa. Vera worked with and supported her husband in his life as an ordained minister. His ministry took them to the following communities: Holland, Michigan 1938-1939; Dubuque, Iowa 1939-1940; Shannon, Illinois 1940-1945; Virginia, Illinois 1945-1946; Ellsworth, Minnesota 1946-1951; Redwood Falls, Minnesota 1951-1961; Coming to Cherokee in 1961 until the present. After moving to Cherokee, Vera attended Cherokee LPN Nurse's School. She worked in nursing for many years, retiring in 1978. She was a member of the Memorial Presbyterian Church, several church circles and was active in many other church related activities. She was a member of the Order of Eastern Star and was a Past Worthy Matron. Vera enjoyed reading. She especially enjoyed sewing and used this God given talent as chairwoman of the Presbytery in Shannon, Illinois for mission sewing, and continued this until 2003.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband on April 11, 2003; two sisters Beatrice Uden and Lucille LaDasser; three brothers Oliver Ulfert Willemssen, William Richard Willemssen and Anton John Willemssen.

She is survived by her four children: Fae (Loren) Bergmann of Nixa, Missouri and their children Stacy Bergmann and Sonya Maddox; Noreen Moody of Cherokee, Iowa (special friend Ron Beddingfield of Virginia, Illinois) and her son James Moody; Paul (Martha) Goldhorn of
N. Augusta, South Carolina and their children Leslie Heady and Karen Powell; Vivian (Joseph) Schleef of Cherokee, Iowa and their sons Anton Schleef and John Schleef; six great grandchildren and five step-great grandchildren.