Beulah Witte

Beulah Ruth Witte, 90, of Rock Valley, Iowa passed away Tuesday, May 1, 2018, at Whispering Heights in Rock Valley. Funeral services will be held Saturday, May 5, at 11:00 AM at Pioneer United Methodist Church in Rock Valley, Iowa with Rev. Donald Nelson officiating. Burial will follow at Hope Cemetery in Hull, Iowa. A visitation with family will be held Friday, May 4, from 6:00-7:00 PM at Porter Funeral Home in Rock Valley, Iowa. Memorials may be given to Pioneer United Methodist Church or Sioux Center Health Hospice and Home Care.

Beulah Ruth (VandeStouwe) Witte was born September 11, 1927, to Alfred and Alice (Kooiker) Vande Stouwe at their home in Hull, Iowa. Beulah married John Raymond (Ray) Witte on November 14, 1947, in Nebraska City, Nebraska. They lived in Perkins, Hull, and Rock Valley, Iowa. Ray passed away in 1970.

For 32 years Beulah was employed by the Rock Valley Community School District as a lunchroom cook. Using her cooking talent to provide meals for the students and staff brought her great joy. After her retirement from the school system, she was employed as a cook at the Rock Valley Senior Center.

Beulah’s greatest pleasure was spending time with family. She loved to cook, work in the garden, and create sewing and embroidery projects. Her homemade caramel rolls, pies, and other baked goods were shared with many. She followed Iowa Hawkeye football and basketball, the Minnesota Twins, and RVHS sports. She always had a deck of cards close at hand and played Solitaire while watching TV. She looked forward to playing Liverpool Rummy with her friends and as she got older, Rummikub. Beulah was a member of Pioneer United Methodist Church and belonged to the United Methodist Women and Ruby circle where she served as task chairman for many years. The friendships, prayers, and assistance she received from church members were a blessing to her.

Beulah is survived by her four children: Raymond (Jan) Witte of Fergus Falls, Minnesota, Charles (Linda) Witte of Wheatland, Wyoming, Barbara (David) Ranschau of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Teresa (Joe) Svec of Iowa City, Iowa; nine grandchildren and twelve great grandchildren; her sister Betty Petersen of Battle Creek, Iowa; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband John Raymond Witte, parents Alfred and Alice VandeStouwe, three brothers and spouses: Freeman (Tillie) VandeStouwe, Vernon (Minnie) VandeStouwe, Robert (Dottie) VandeStouwe, one sister and spouse, Myona (Julius) Heerde, brother-in-law Vernus Petersen, niece Noreen Bonestroo; father in-law and mother in-law John and Bertha Witte, sister-in-law Marie Witte, and brother-in-law Fred Witte.

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