Vera R. Repking Vonderheide (91) of Effingham

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Published on May 16 2016 9:45 am

Vera Repking Vonderheide, 91, of Effingham, passed away Saturday evening, May 14, 2016, at Evergreen Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.

A funeral mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 18, at St. Aloysius Catholic Church, Dieterich, Illinois, with burial in St. Aloysius Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday at St. Aloysius Church with a 6:30 p.m. joint CCW and CD of A rosary and a 7:30 p.m. prayer service. Memorials may be made to St. Aloysius Cemetery Fund or Effingham Area Alzheimer Awareness Organization. Bauer Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

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Vera was born June 16, 1924, in Effingham, the daughter of Kenneth Gillespie and Ida Mae (Sharp) Gillespie. She married Alf Repking on June 24, 1942. He preceded her in death on July 8, 1969. She married Louis Kroeger on October 4, 1974. He preceded her in death on January 26, 1982. She later married Frank Vonderheide on May 11, 1985, and he preceded her in death on November 29, 2003. Vera worked on the family farm and was the first woman school bus driver in Effingham County. She was a cook at Bishop Creek School, worked at GC Murphy Co as manager of the snack bar, and worked at Illinois drivers’ license bureau. She enjoyed traveling, gardening, canning, playing cards, and loved to dance. Vera was typically seen wearing one of her many hats. She was also known for baking big angel food cakes. She was a member of St. Aloysius Ladies Sodality, Ladies Auxiliary VFW, past Democratic County Chairlady, and member and past president of Teutopolis CD of A.

Vera is survived by her children: daughters, Diana (Larry) Jansen, and Janet “Kay” Repking, sons, Kenny (Mona), Ron (Christy), Dan (Karla), Tim (special friend, Stacey Nuxoll); daughter-in-law Linda Repking (special friend, Tom Renken); step children Alice Croft, Larry Kroeger, Charlie Kroeger, and John (Jackie) Vonderheide; 20 grandchildren and 27 great grandchildren; and brother-in-law Ray Probst.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husbands; son Bernie; stepsons Tom and Jim Kroeger; brothers Wayne, Delbert, Gene, Harold, Bob, and Clarence Gillespie; sisters Velda Knight and Virginia Probst; sisters-in-law Irene Priest, Bertha Pruemer; brother-in-law Jim Knight.