65415_Elizabeth A. ~Betty~_Klassen
Ventura — Elizabeth A. “Betty” Klassen, 78, of 17 Marflow St., Ventura, Iowa, died Thursday, August 8, 2013, at the Oakwood Care Center, Clear Lake, Iowa.
Craig Joseph Klassen, 50, of Phoenix, Arizona, son of Elizabeth Klassen, died two hours later on August 8, 2013, in Phoenix.
A memorial Mass for Elizabeth Klassen and her son Craig Klassen will be held at 1:30 p.m. Monday August 12, 2013, at St. Patrick’s Catholic, Church, Clear Lake, Iowa with the Rev. John Gossman and the Rev. Ken Glaser officiating. Inurnment will be at a later time in Clear Lake Cemetery.
Visitation will be Sunday from 1:30 p.m. until 3 p.m. at the Ward-Van Slyke Colonial Chapel, Clear Lake, with a Scriptural wake service at 2 p.m. Visitation will also be one hour before the service on Monday at the church.
Betty was born Feb. 3, 1935, in Elma, Iowa, the daughter of Phillip and Elizabeth (Rosonke) Biwer. She received her education graduating in 1953 from Immaculate Conception Catholic High School, Elma, Iowa.
She married Robert L. Klassen on May 1, 1954, at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Elma, Iowa. To this union they had three sons: Richard, Kirk and Craig.
They lived in Rudd, and later Charles City and Des Moines. In 1968 they bought the Shady Beach, Clear Lake, Iowa, which they owned for four years, and then moved to Sheldon, Iowa, where they bought a beer distributorship. In 1977 they bought the Colony Inn in Ventura, Iowa. She was always active and very involved in all of their endeavors.
She was a member of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Clear Lake, Iowa.
Betty is survived by her husband of 58 years Bob Klassen, Ventura; two sons Richard “Rick” (Rachelle) Klassen, Desert Hot Spring, Calif., and Kirk (Sharon) Klassen, Prentice, Wis.; six grandchildren Rebecka Klassen and her fiancé Matt Burrows, Jennifer (Aaron) Hockom, Jacob Klassen, Sean Klassen, Adam (Dorie) Klassen and Davis Klassen; three great-grandchildren Carter Klassen, Ruth Burrows and Max Hockom; two brothers Matt (Jackie) Biwer, Phoenix, Arizona and Al (Donna) Biwer, Elma, Iowa, and two sisters Geraldine Heying, Elma, Iowa and Mary Sullivan, Rochester, Minnesota.
Her son Craig passed away two hours after her death on August 8, in Phoenix, Ariz. She was preceded in death by her parents; sister Phyllis Glaser; brother Joe Biwer and two brothers-in-law Slim Heying and Burdell Sullivan.
Ward-Van Slyke Colonial Chapel, 101 N. Fourth St., Clear Lake, 641-357-2193, ColonialChapels.com.