Vera M Vontz

Funeral Services for Vera M. Vontz will be held on Friday, December 10, 2010 at 10:30 a.m. at the First Baptist Church in Holdrege, Nebraska with Pastor Darren Stroh and Chaplain DeWane Dow, officiating. Interment will be held at Prairie Home Cemetery in Holdrege.

Vera M. Vontz, 91 years of age, of Holdrege, passed away on Tuesday, December 7, 2010 at the Christian Homes Care Community in Holdrege. She was born on February 23, 1919 in Russell County, near Bunker Hill, Kansas, the sixth of seven children born to John J. and Laura Agnes (Farrell) Chenoweth. She received her primary education from Concordia, Kansas and Pauline, Nebraska through the eighth grade and then graduated from Hastings High School with the class of 1937.

In the 1940s, Vera was employed as a bookkeeper/secretary at the Red Willow County Courthouse and an attorney's office in McCook, Nebraska.

On December 29, 1950, she was united in marriage to Raymond Joseph Vontz at McCook and to this union five daughters were born: Barbara, Jeanette, Darlene, Diane, and Rita. The family made their home in Indianola, Nebraska, where Vera focused on being a homemaker and raising her daughters. In 1959, they moved to McCook and in 1969 they relocated to Holdrege, where Raymond and Vera were employed by Bethphage Mission in Axtell, Nebraska. Vera worked as a caregiver at Bethphage Mission until she retired in 1979. Raymond passed away on December 10, 2000.

Vera was a member of the First Baptist Church in Holdrege. She loved to read and enjoyed playing cards. Family and her faith were of great importance to her.

Besides her parents and husband, Raymond, Vera was preceded in death by one daughter, Barb Teel; three brothers: Marvin Chenoweth and his wife, Minerva, Thomas Chenoweth and his wife, June, Bill Chenoweth and his wife, Geneva; three sisters: Melva Winchell and her husband, Charles, Thelma Parker and her husband, Glen, and Alma Kelso and her husband, Josh.

Vera leaves to mourn her passing her four daughters: Jeanette Johnson and her husband, Mike of Holdrege, Darlene Sweeney and her husband, Mark of Holdrege, Diane Thee and her husband, Mark of Kearney, Rita Meier of Grand Island; son-in-law, Bill Teel of Indianola; 16 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, December 9, 2010 from 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home in Holdrege with the family greeting from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

A memorial has been established in her memory and will be designated at a later date.

Expressions of caring and kindness can be sent to the family at www.nelsonbauerfh.com

The Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home in Holdrege is in charge of the arrangements.