Verda Delia Kever, daughter of Lester Ralph McDowell and Delia Alice Nicholas was born December 19, 1926 in Rippey, IA and died May 26, 2014 at the Granger Nursing and Rehab Center in Granger at the age of 87. Funeral services were held 2:00 p.m., Friday, May 30, 2014 at Hastings Funeral Home in Perry, Iowa. Words of comfort were made by Reverend Ken Bose of the Trinity Lutheran Church in Perry, Iowa.
Casket bearers were Jim Allen, Adam Vander Leest, Donald Kever, Michael Kever, Hunter Allen and Dakota Kever. Pianist Elta Summerson. Hymns were “The Old Rugged Cross,” “Shall We Gather At The River,” “In The Garden,” “Abide With Me.” The burial was at the Rippey Cemetery in Rippey, Iowa. Everyone was invited to a time of refreshment and fellowship at the Rippey United Methodist Church following the services at the cemetery.
Verda attended school in Rippey and graduated in 1945. She worked at the Perry Locker. On September 28, 1953 Verda and Donald Charles Kever were united in marriage at the Methodist Church in Rippey. Verda and Donald were blessed with four children. The family lived in Perry then Rippey from 1961 to 1965. They then moved to Des Moines in 1965. Verda was a stay at mother while her children were young. She started working for Reames Foods in 1968 and worked there for 30 years. Verda crocheted and enjoyed cooking. She made amazing homemade noodles and wonderful fried chicken. The family remembers always having desert. Her cakes were made from scratch and her pies were delicious. She was a member of the United Methodist Church, the Burrell Camp of the Royal Neighbors of America and the Alice Blue Rebekah Lodge of Rippey.
Verda was preceded in death by husband Donald in 1981; her parents; her infant sister Donna Jean McDowell; her twin brother Vernon and her son-in-law Charles Beehler. Verda is survived by her sons DennisKever of Des Moines and Steve (Debbie) Kever of DeSoto; daughters Diane (Larry) Kellar of Polk City and Carolyn Beehler of Des Moines; brother Daryl (Brownie) McDowell of Jamaica; sister-in-law Lois McDowell of Perry; 14 grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends