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Obituaries
The Gazette publishes obituaries on a daily basis. Use the search field above to search for obituaries by name or keyword. Readers can submit an obituary or submit a milestone to The Gazette. The obituary must be submitted before 1 p.m. for publication on thegazette.com at 6 p.m. and in the daily edition the next day, with the exception of obituaries for Sunday publication, which must be submitted by 1 p.m. on Fridays.
Hickman, Velma Lucille
Velma Lucille Hickman, 95, passed away Monday, October 19, 2009, at East Towne Care Center in Independence. Funeral Services: 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the Fawcett Funeral Home in Winthrop with the Rev. Sue Ann Raymond officiating. Interment: Fremont Township Cemetery North of Winthrop. Friends may call from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, and anytime Saturday at the funeral home.
Pallbearers include Joe Hickman, David Hickman, Mark Hickman, Michael Cooney, Patrick Cooney, Tim Corsaro, and Mike Martens. Honorary bearers are Susan Hickman, Tamara Hickman, Catherine Corsaro, Anne Martens, Gwen Cooney, Kathy Gritton, Mike Gritton, Don Gritton, and Duane Gritton.
Velma, daughter of Fred and Cora Lorang Meffert, was born on a farm in Byron Township North of Winthrop on Jan. 6, 1914. She attended Byron #5 Country School for three years and then went to the Winthrop School. She graduated from Winthrop High School in 1931. After attending and graduating from Pitzes Beauty School of Waterloo, Velma worked for Helen Hanna's Beauty Salon in Oelwein.
On May 28, 1935, Velma was united in marriage to George Hickman at the parsonage in Vinton, with the Rev. Charles Fort, George's uncle, officiated. They started farming north of Winthrop in 1937 and then moved to the family farm in March of 1949, where they worked side by side and raised their family. They celebrated their 62nd wedding anniversary May 28, 1997. George passed away July 29, 1997. Velma became a resident of East Towne Care Center in 2002.
Velma is survived by her two children, James Hickman and his wife, Lois of Cedar Rapids, and Sandra Cooney and her husband, Michael of West Des Moines; eight grandchildren, Joe, Susan, and David Hickman, Mark Hickman and his wife, Tamara, Michael Cooney, Catherine Corsaro and her husband, Tim, Anne Martens and her husband, Mike, and Patrick Cooney and his wife, Gwen; and five great-grandchildren, Jessica and Kyle Martens, Sophia and Zoey Corsaro, and Mikaela Hickman.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, and two sisters, Gladys Fee and Marguerite Kirby.
For further information or to send an online condolence to the family go to under obituaries.
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