Newland, Reba L.

Reba L. Newland, 87, a resident of Shady Rest Care Center, Cascade, was called to heaven on March 24, 2010. A family celebration of life will be held at a later date, with burial at Center Baptist church cemetery in Lansing.   Goettsch Funeral Home, Monticello, is caring for Reba and her family.

 Reba L. Agema was born July 8, 1922, in Monroe, Wis., into the family of the Rev. John T. and Mabel V. (Jones) Agema. She attended high school in Augusta, Wis., graduating with the class of 1940. Her high school motto was “I may not be an authority, but I'll tell the world I have an opinion.” All who knew her know this was true.

During World War II she worked as a secretary in Rochester, Minn., and Dubuque, Iowa. In 1948, she married Kenneth L. Newland in Byron, Minn. Her father performed the ceremony and the reception was held at the parsonage. Reba and Ken made their home in Waterloo, Iowa, where Ken was employed by the Illinois Central Railroad. After her children entered school she returned to work as a secretary at the University of Northern Iowa.

Reba loved choral music and was a member of the Waterloo Mothers Chorus. She had a deep and abiding faith and spent time daily praying and reading the Bible. She enjoyed good jokes and was often found in the kitchen making chocolate chip cookies.

Reba and Ken retired to a house along Village Creek between Waukon and Lansing, Iowa. There they joined the “Ditch in the Bluff Society” and made many fond memories. They were both very involved in the work of the Center Baptist Church.

Ken passed away Feb. 27, 1985, and Reba began work with Child evangelism and then later as a secretary at Emmaus Bible College in Dubuque for 11 years. In 1996, Governor Terry Branstad presented her a Governor's Volunteer Award. She retired to Monticello in 2001.

She is survived by her four children, Ronald (Sondra) of Monticello, and Jeanne Chambers, Joanne, and Kenneth J. Newland, all of Tucson, Ariz.; two grandchildren, Michael (Kerry) of Dubuque and Nancy (Brian) Lehman of Ankeny; and five great-granddaughters, Cassandra, Alexandria, Olivia, Kennedy and Taylor.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Kenneth; a sister, Jeanne; and brothers, George, Samuel and John.

A very special thank you goes to the staff of Shady Rest Care Center and Hospice of Dubuque for their loving care.

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