Verna Mae Revell Knowles

   VERNA'S SERVICE CAN BE VIEWED ON THE FIRST REORMED CHURCH IRETON, IOWA FACEBOOK PAGE.

   With deep sadness, we announce the death of Verna Mae Knowles, mom, grandma, great-grandma, sister, and friend.  Verna died peacefully with a quiet prayer on her lips Tuesday, July 12^th, 2022, only a few weeks short of her one-hundred and second birthday. 

   Verna was born on a farm in Venus, Nebraska the 3^rd day of August in 1920 and every day thereafter brought joy to someone in her life through her kind, gentle and generous spirit.  She was the 5^th of 10 children born to Nancy Ethel (O’Connor) and Leonard Herman.  She grew up on the Nebraska plains, walking to a one room schoolhouse nearly 2 miles from home, and on stormy days riding in her father’s wagon pulled by a team of horses.  Some of her best stories were about her love of playing with her siblings on the farm, building forts, playing tag, and even holding hands while running with bare feet around a cow-patty trying to pull one another into the pile.  Growing up on the farm meant work too, and she shared many stories about milking cows when she was old enough, or catching a raindrop in her hand, making a tiny mud puddle as it landed pulling the dirt out of the air toward the end of the dust bowl.   

   She met Dale Revell at an ice-skating party on a farm pond near O’Neil, Nebraska when she was 18 years old; he offered to teach her how to skate, but instead they spent the evening talking and getting to know one another.  They married on July 20, 1940, and had three sons, Bobby, Buddy, and Billy.  After Dale’s untimely death, Verna married Dr. Wayne Chester Knowles on February 24, 1961.  Verna moved with Wayne across the country and back again, from California to Iowa and finally settling in Michigan where she managed Wayne’s Chiropractic practice for nearly thirty years.  Upon Wayne’s retirement she moved to Ireton, Iowa to be closer to her remaining son Billy and his family.  She enjoyed the small community where she made many friends as a long-time member of the 1^st Reform Church.  Despite losing part of her hand in a factory accident while working making tools, Verna was an avid seamstress and quilter.  Each of Verna’s grandchildren has a hand-stitched quilt, and she told us that with each stitch she was saying “I love you” over and over again.  She also shared her talents as a seamstress by volunteering many hours at Hope Haven making lap quilts for wheelchairs.

   Verna is survived by her brother, Lambert Herman; her son and his wife, Billy and Alice Revell; and her many adoring grand and great-grandchildren.  She was preceded in death by her mother and father, 8 siblings, two husbands and two cherished sons.  Just weeks before her passing Verna eased the mind of her great-granddaughter by telling her not to worry when Grandma’s time comes because she will be able to see her sons, her mom and dad and sisters and brothers who have gone to heaven before her.  We will miss our grandma, her wisdom, her stories, eating her yummy pickles and so much more, but we can all count ourselves as truly blessed to have shared our lives with her.  She was a role model for finding joy even in times of sorrow and as such we will celebrate her life together and keep her stories going for generations to come.

   Please join us in celebrating Verna’s life Saturday morning July 30^th, 2022.  The inurnment will be at Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Ireton, Iowa at 10:15 AM; the service will be held at 11 AM at 1^st Reformed Church in Ireton.  Lunch will be served following the service at the Ireton Community Center. The Porter Funeral Home in Ireton is assisting the family. Condolences may be sent to www.porterfuneralhomes.com.

   In Lieu of flowers please consider donating to one of Verna’s cherished charities:

Gospel Mission of Sioux City, Iowa or the Disabled American Veterans, or the Gideon Society. Websites are: thegospelmission.org., dav.org., and gideons.org.