Belva Kloppenburg

Belva June Kloppenburg, 86, of Atlantic, Iowa, was welcomed into Heaven on Saturday, August 26, 2023 at Windmill Manor in Coralville, Iowa.

On June 23, 1937, she was born the daughter of Leonard Gayle and Ruth Hazel (Marshall) Bailey on her parent’s farm in Cass County.  As a child she did a lot of babysitting and helped on the farm with chores, field work, driving tractors, making hay and threshing.  She attended country school in Cass County and graduated from Anita High School in 1955.

After graduation she started working at Blue Star and then Walnut Grove in Atlantic.  In 1956, Belva was united in marriage to Lawrence Leroy Kloppenburg, and the couple made their home in Wiota, Iowa.  Following their marriage, she drove a truck for Lawrence’s trucking and feed business and cared for their three boys; Larry, Ricky and Terry.  She also worked as a cashier and bookkeeper at Warren Oil, Delongs, and West Central in Atlantic. 

She enjoyed crocheting, cooking, puzzles, playing cards, camping, playing piano, listening to Gaither Gospel and country music, and visiting with family and friends.  Belva looked forward to spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren and great-grandchildren whom she adored and loved dearly.  Her church family at First Lutheran was also very important to her, and she served on the Altar Guild for several years. 

Belva is survived by her children; Rick (Rosie) Kloppenburg of Tiffin, IA, and Terry (Sally) Kloppenburg of Brooklyn, IA; grandchildren, Jill Kloppenburg, Jenny (Will) Grizzard, Andrew (Sarah) Kloppenburg, Shannon (Seth) Libby, Ryan (Leayn) Kloppenburg, Kristin (Bennett) Simon, Katie (Kyle) Minehart, Kenneth Kloppenburg and Starlene Kloppenburg; great-grandchildren, Nathan, Abbigail and Lauren Kloppenburg, Emree and Cameron Simon, Star Libby, Eliza and Samuel Kloppenburg, Cora Minehart, and Ava and Harper Gizzard; sister, Jerry (Marion) Kaufmann; brother, Bill (Diane) Bailey; sister-in-law Sue Thornton, and many nieces, nephews, extended family and friends.

She is preceded in death by her parents; Leonard and Ruth Bailey, husband, Lawrence, son Larry Kloppenburg, in-laws, Louise and Roy Kloppenburg, sister and brother-in-law, Luella (Lyle) Wilson, and brother-in-law, Kenneth Kloppenburg.

Open visitation will be held on Tuesday, August 29^th from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. at Roland Funeral Service in Atlantic. 

Funeral Service will be at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, August 30^th at the First Lutheran Church of Wiota, southeast of Wiota.  Visitation with Family Present will start prior to the funeral service at 9:00 a.m. at the church.  Burial will immediately follow the funeral service in the First Lutheran Cemetery.

Memorials may be directed to the First Lutheran Church and Shriners International.

Roland Funeral Service is caring for Belva’s family and her arrangements.  Condolences may be left at www.rolandfuneralservice.com

The service was livestreamed by First Lutheran Church and can be found on their Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/flcwia, the service starts at approximately 17:20 and ends around 43:30.