Verna Heidenreich

Verna Heidenreich, 89, daughter of Andrew and Iler Nannenga of Demotte, Indiana passed away on Sunday, June 7, at the Golden Living Center in Fresno, California. Verna, known to relatives as ”Vernie,” was born July 21, 1925 in DeMotte where she was the oldest of 12 children. Growing up she lived in several Jasper County communities including Thayer, Kniman, and Roselawn (where she started school) but DeMotte was her home for most of her early life. In 1941 she married Leonard Robb (Bob) Jones a resident of Wheatfield and eventually they would have five children. Four died within a week of birth—Sandra Lee, Linda Lucille, Edward Anthony and Roger Dale, while the fifth, Kenneth Alan, survives. After her husband’s enlistment in the Army in World War II she followed him to Boston where he was stationed. After his discharge they returned to Gary and DeMotte (where they opened an electronics store). In 1948 they headed west to Oregon and though they would make sporadic returns to live in Indiana, most of her life after that time was spent in the west, first in Oregon and then in California. In 1958 she divorced Leonard Jones and returned home to DeMotte to live at her parent’s farm. One year later she married John E Heidenreich II whom she had met in San Diego. She then returned to California where in 1959 she had another son, John Edward Heidenreich III. Although she worked for more than 50 years, and had a number of jobs, she was most proud of the time she served as an electronics inspector. Among her achievements was the work she performed on the Apollo 10 and Apollo 11 Spacecraft (the first manned lunar landing on July 20, 1969). In 1982 she divorced John Heidenreich but continued to work while living in Pittsburg, California. In 1998 she moved to Yorktown Heights, New York to live with her son John and then returned to California in 2001 to live with her son Kenneth and his wife Pat in Lodi. She accompanied the family to Fresno in 2008. Verna was known as a kind and compassionate person who always made the time to send a card or letter to her many relatives and friends and though separated by a great distance from DeMotte, she kept in constant touch. Everyone liked her and the word most commonly used to describe her was nurturing whether as a mother, relative or friend. She loved her roses, reading, sewing, the color turquoise, the movie Gone With The Wind, and her favorite foods—fudge, oatmeal cookies, and vanilla ice cream. She also enjoyed travel and it was a good thing. Her first husband became a minister and pastored churches in a variety of towns in Ohio, Wisconsin, Indiana, Oregon and California. Her second husband was a Marine and as he was assigned to different bases she would find herself once again moving from town to town. Eventually she would live in at least 41 different homes during her long life. Throughout her life she was deeply religious and as she neared the end talked often of joining her Savior in Heaven—along with her parents, babies, siblings and friends. She had been in ill health for the past several years and passed away peacefully in her sleep in the company of her son Ken and daughter-in-law Pat. Surviving are her sons, Kenneth Jones and wife Patricia of Fresno, California, and John Heidenreich III and wife Karen of New Rochelle, New York; four grandchildren—Kimberly (Jones) Peltola, Michael Jones, Courtney Heidenreich, and Eric Heidenreich; four great-grandchildren—Serena Jones, Daphne Jones, Adam Peltola and Katherine Peltola. Surviving siblings include Daniel Nannenga and wife Edith of Randolph, Wisconsin; Robert Nannenga and wife Mildred, Martina (Nannenga) Hoffman, Andrew Nannenga and wife Sharon, and Charles Nannenga, all of DeMotte; Donald Nannenga of Wheatfield. Second husband John Heidenreich II survives in Broadbent, Oregon. Preceding her in death were her father Andrew Nannenga and her mother Iler Oma (Bryant) Nannenga of DeMotte; four brothers—George Nannenga, Simon Nannenga, and Arthur Nannenga I, all of DeMotte; Arthur Nannenga II of Rome City, Indiana; one sister Jean Oma of DeMotte. In addition, she was preceded in death by her first husband Leonard Robb Jones. A graveside service will be held at the DeMotte Cemetery on Monday, June 29 at 3 p.m. with the Rev. James Stoel officiating. A gathering of family and friends will follow at the American Reformed Church in DeMotte at 4 p.m. Donations in lieu of flowers should be made to the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund (information on the fund can be found at curealz.org). Telephone 781-237-3800 or email to donate@curealz.org

Verna Heidenreich

July 21, 1925 - June 7, 2015