Ramona M. Vlastuin

RAMONA MARGARET VLASTUIN was born to Henry and Ann (Clercx) Simons on July 27, 1929, in Larchwood, Iowa. She attended St. Mary’s school and graduated in 1947. While she was working at Brugmann’s Pharmacy in Rock Rapids, Iowa, she met Gerrit Vlastuin. On April 10, 1950, Ramona and Gerrit were united in marriage at St. Mary Catholic Church in Larchwood. The couple made their home on a farm near Doon, Iowa, where they were blessed with three children: Linda, Lorae and Leland. In 1965, they moved to a farm near Beaver Creek, Minnesota where they continued to raise their family. In 1988, they moved from their farm to Luverne, Minnesota. Ramona and Gerrit were married for 52 years. Ramona moved to the Prince of Peace Retirement Community in Sioux Falls, South Dakota in Jan 2020. On Wednesday, August 17, 2022, she died peacefully at the Sanford USD Medical Center in Sioux Falls at the age of 93 years and 20 days.

Much of Ramona’s life work consisted of working in the Beaver Creek Elementary school, followed by many years volunteering at the Sanford Gift Shop in Luverne. She was a life-long member of Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary and a member of St. Catherine Catholic Church in Luverne, where she often volunteered. In her lifetime, Ramona gained a great love of travel, coffee with friends, crafts, card games, and spending time with her grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Ramona is lovingly remembered by her children, Linda (Chuck) Wattier, Lorae (Eugene) Lodes; daughter-in-law, Lynette Vlastuin; six grandchildren, Jordan (Noelle) Vlastuin, Jared (Abby) Vlastuin, Madysen Vlastuin, Melissa (Eric) Bauder, Ashley (Ryan) DeMent, and Chris (Sheri) Lodes; great-grandchildren, Kylie Vlastuin, Will Vlastuin, Evan Vlastuin, Kellan Vlastuin, Halli Bauder, Kaylor Lodes, Kinley Lodes, Dodge DeMent, and Dixie DeMent; sisters-in-law, Jeanette “Nettie” (John) Van Surksum, Emma Vlastuin, Till Blom, and Ann Vlastuin and brother-in-law Elmer Vlastuin. She was preceded in death by her husband Gerrit (August 2002); and son, Leland Vlastuin (November 2021).