Verbena Friesleben

Verbena Mae Friesleben, 95, of Clear Lake, died Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2016, at the Heritage Care Center, Mason City, Iowa.

Funeral services were held on Monday, Dec. 19, 2016, at Zion Lutheran Church, Clear Lake, with the Rev. Steve Bang officiating.  Burial was in the Belmond Cemetery, Belmond.

Family suggests memorials to Zion Lutheran Women.

Verbena Mae Friesleben was born April 30, 1921 in rural Belmond, the daughter of Henry and Pauline (Stadtlander) Meinders.  At the age of three the family moved to a farm northwest of Meservey, Iowa.  She attended Meservey Consolidated School graduating in 1938.  She attended one year of Normal Training at the Belmond High School.  She taught five years in rural schools in the Belmond area.

On Aug. 24, 1944 she was united in marriage to Dell Friesleben in the Evangelical Reformed Church in Alexander, Iowa.  Two sons were born to this union.  They farmed the family farm East of Alexander until March 1958.  They then purchased their own farm south of Clear Lake and continued to farm there until August 1968.  Due to her husband’s ill health they retired from farming and moved to their home in Clear Lake.  She was employed at Keifer’s Greenhouse for two years.  On July 1, 1971 she was employed as the late shift dispatcher for the Clear Lake Police Department until retiring June 30, 1987.  After the death of her husband on Feb. 17, 1976, she remained in their home until June 4, 2005, when she moved to an apartment at The Meadows in Clear Lake.

     Verbena was baptized and confirmed in the Reformed Church of Meservey, Iowa.  She was a member of Zion Lutheran Church, Clear Lake.  She was a member of Zion Women Circle, Altar Guild, Quilter’s and served on other committees.  She was a member of the Rebekah Lodge and held several different offices.  She was a member of Star O.D.O. Club.  She enjoyed playing cards, music, traveling and working word puzzles. She enjoyed working in the yard, the farm, with flowers and the garden.

     She is survived by her son, Rex, and his wife, Mary Jo, Fridley, Minn.; two grandsons, Chad Friesleben and his wife, Kelly, West Des Moines, Iowa and Matthew Friesleben and his wife, Cari, Denver, Colo.; great-grandchildren, Caitlyn and Nicholas Friesleben, West Des Moines, and Adaline and Charlie Friesleben, Denver; stepgrandson, Mark (Carin) Engler; step-great-grandchildren twins, Madison and Mason, Fargo, N.D. and Kevin (Amy) Engler, Minneapolis, Minn.;  sister, Pauline Arends, Belmond, Iowa; and several nieces and nephews.

     Verbena was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Dell, on Feb. 17, 1976; one son in infancy, Wayne, on July 13, 1949; two brothers, Alfred Meinders and Marvin Meinders; and two sisters, Clara Harken and Henrietta Vierkant.

Ward-Van Slyke Colonial Chapel was in charge of arrangements.