Anna Harms

Anna Darlene (Schipper) Harms, age 82 passed away on Sunday July 17th, 2022, in the Grundy Center Hospital. she was born the 6th of 7 children to Jessie Marks and Richard Schipper on December 22nd, 1939.  She grew up on a couple of rural farms near the town of Kesley, Iowa and attended a rural school. When they closed the rural school she began attending Aplington Community School completing her schooling. She was proud to claim the title of valedictorian of the class.

After graduating she met and married Royce Harms of Wellsburg, Iowa on December 5th ,1958. Their first home was located on the corner across the road from the First Christian Church west of Wellsburg. After three months Royce’s parents moved to town. The newlywed couple then moved into the homestead of the family farm, laying down their roots and began to run their business of farming where they raised crops and livestock. There was much to do on the traditional farm. They milked the cows, tended the hogs and chickens, as well as other animals that they had on the farm. Anna did her share in running the farm working side by side with her husband doing the work that needed to be done.

Anna was a hard worker. She had worked as a caregiver before marriage, for TJ DeVries, and when money was needed to supplement the farming business, she began working off the farm at nights at the B&B Plastics industry in Wellsburg. After a few years of working there she started babysitting for a local couple. She also worked in the canning factory in Ackley in the fall of the year, again working through the night. Often she came home to help with the chores before getting a few hours of much needed sleep.

When more consistent income was needed she sought employment in the Dodger Gym garment sewing industry of Eldora, Iowa. It wasn’t long before she was recognized to have leadership tendencies and she was promoted to a supervisory position as line captain. She worked in that business several years- achieving a top supervisory position until the business closed.  When that happened a severance payout for schooling was provided to employees so Anna used the opportunity to go back to school and get her CMA and CNA certification, using it to gain employment in the Presbyterian Village of Ackley, Iowa where she worked until retirement – moving off the farm to their town home in Wellsburg in 2002.

Their home was blessed with 5 children.  Anna loved her family and enjoyed spending time with everyone- laughing and enjoying life. Her hobbies included square dancing, cooking, sewing, and playing cards or dominoes while enjoying everyone’s company.  She enjoyed traveling with her husband, Royce, often to visit family reaching many of the states as well as Great Britain. She instilled her ethic for hard work in her children, teaching them many of the things she knew would help each of them be successful. Often many of their chores would be lessons in life. They would never forget when she told them to “wipe around the edges” (an old family joke).

Anna was preceded in death by her parents, her 6 siblings and 3 sibling’s spouses; George Schipper, Johnnie Schipper, Arnie Schipper (Marion) Bena Beirman (Floyd), Richard Schipper (Beverly), Marion Nelson as well as Randy Luwe (her son in law).

She is survived by her husband Royce; her children- Pam Luwe, David Harms (Deanna), Michelle McMullen (Mark), Daniel Harms (Julie), Melissa Miller (Charles);16 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren; three of her siblings’ spouses- Lorraine (Schipper) Kalkwarf, Clarene Schipper and Kenneth Nelson, her sister-in-law Vivian Huisman (Theodore), her brother-in law Marvin Harms (Nedra), as well as numerous nephews and nieces.

A visitation will be held from 4:00pm to 7:00pm on Thursday, July 21, 2022, at the Wellsburg Reformed Church. Funeral service will be held at 10:30am on Friday July 22, 2022, also at the Wellsburg Reformed Church. Anna will be laid to rest at the Wellsburg Reformed Cemetery.

Abels Funeral Home and Cremation, Doyen Chapel is overseeing the arrangements.