Verna Aeikens

April 13, 2019

Verna Aeikens, 91, of Clara City, died Saturday, April 13th at the Clara City Care Center. Memorial services will be held on Saturday, April 27th at 2:00 pm at the Bethany Reformed Church in Clara City. Visitation will be held one hour prior to services at the church on Saturday. Verna Elizabeth Aeikens was born on December 4, 1927, to Raymond & Pearl Essendup. She grew up on a farm west of Raymond, Minnesota with her eleven siblings. She attended country school and Catholic school in Clara City, where she often stayed with her grandparents. Verna took pride in baking for her family as a young girl, making six loaves of bread every other day and dozens of cookies in between. On May 2, 1951, Verna married her best friend for life, Richard Aeikens. They made their home for 61 years on a farm by Raymond where they raised three daughters, Harriet, Judy and Rosemary. Verna’s love for her family & friends was shown through endless acts of kindness. She enjoyed sharing her baked and canned goods and having people over for tea. Richard & Verna enjoyed making quilts together, playing cards every morning over coffee, along with numerous card parties with family and friends. She enjoyed crafts, especially embroidery. Her love of baking continued when she baked pies weekly for Margaret’s Café. She was known as “the pie lady” to locals who often requested her pies for special events. Everyone appreciated her delicious pies! Verna never missed an opportunity to spend time with her family. She always looked forward to holidays, birthday parties and visiting. Her unconditional love and gracious heart will surely be missed but forever treasured. Verna was loved and taken great care of by many at the Clara City Care Center where she lived for the last six and a half years. She is survived by her two daughters: Judy (Dave) Steffen of Raymond and Rosemary (Tom) Berghuis of Clara City; son-in-law LeRoy Muller of LaPorte; 7 grandchildren: Jeff (Julie) Muller, Aimee (Josh) Hilbrands, Craig (Crystal) Steffen, Kayla (David) Kimpling, Stacy (Justin) Wachsmuth, Nicole Crowe and Abby (Tyler) Hermanson; 13 great grandchildren: Tammy (Matt) Nichols, Peyton, Hailee & Harper Hilbrands, Paige & Jax Steffen, Landon & Ellie Kimpling, Brynn & Nolan Wachsmuth and Makenna & Mason Crowe; two brothers Ervin (Alice) Essendrup, Ray (Eileen) Essendrup; three sisters: Lorraine Bohlsen, Bonnie Hanson and Colleen Newland; two sisters-in-law: Lydia Hoogeveen and Margaret Essendrup and many other relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Richard in May of 2018, daughter Harriet, grandson Steven Muller, three sisters: Adeline (Lammert) Steffens, Dorothy (Bob) Fransen and Arlene (Barney) Beers, three brothers: Marlin (Juanita), James & Gerald Essendrup, brothers & sisters-in-law: Dale Hanson, Jack Newland, Art Bohlsen, Matt (JoHanna) Aeikens, George (Joan) Aeikens and Harry Hoogeveen.