Veva Mae Baden

Veva Mae Baden…

was born on May 28, 1928 to Carl and Elsie (Rafoth) Beese in Deerfield Township, Minnesota. She attended country school district #19 and graduated as class valedictorian in 1946 from Medford High School. After high school, she went on to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in English and Music from Mankato State Teacher’s School in Mankato, Minnesota. She spent 10 years teaching English and Music in Iowa and Minnesota.

On June 13, 1953, Veva married Gordon Baden in Medford, Minnesota. Following their marriage, the couple lived on the Baden family farm outside Jasper, Minnesota. In 1969, they moved from the farm into Jasper where she became a well-known piano teacher, teaching lessons out of her home for 54 years. She played piano for many weddings, funerals, and church services. You name it and she played for it.

Veva was very active in the Jasper community. She was a member of the Trinity Lutheran Church, American Legion Auxiliary, Jasper Progress Study Club, Helping Hands Club, Jasper Civic Club and played trombone in the Jasper Blowhards. She was also on the Jasper School Board for 30 years, being the first woman to be on the board. Every day she could be seen walking her route around town – post office, bank, grocery store, and home.

Veva resided in Jasper until November, 2017, when she moved to Grand Living at Lake Lorraine in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. She enjoyed life there until she passed peacefully on Friday, November 9, 2018 at the age of 90 years, five months and 11 days.

Survivors include her children, Randy Baden (Becky) of Jasper and Rhonda Isaacs (Fiance’ Mike Watson) of St. Paul, Minnesota; five grandchildren, Randall Baden, Jr. (Cassi) of Katy, Texas, Tracy Donovan (JT) of Sioux Falls, Alyssa Isaacs of Roseville, Minnesota, Bethany Abramson (Erick) of Sosdala Sweden, and Rachel Sass (Robbin) of St. Paul; four great-grandchildren, Sylas Baden, Asher, Julian and Nina Abramson; one sister, Hazel Scheitel of Rochester, Minnesota; and one sister-in-law, Marlys Verdoes of Redwood Falls, Minnesota. She is preceded in death by her husband, Gordon; her parents; one sister, Lois Lamb; one brother, Carlton Beese; one sister-in-law, JoAnn Baden and one son-in-law, Paul Isaacs.