Obituary of Elizabeth Clemen

Survivors include her 3 sons: Aloysius and Bernard, both of Holy Cross and Vincent (Edna) of El Paso, TX; 2 daughters: Mary (Jack) Habel of North Buena Vista and Judy (fiancé Duane Roling) Clemen of Holy Cross; 6 grandchildren: Kelli, Kristine and Annie Habel, Kim (Jacob) Breitbach, Frank Villarruel and Isaac Clemen; a brother, Aloysius (Lucille) Vonderhaar of Luxemburg; a brother-in-law, Ambrose Merkes of Luxemburg; 3 sisters-in-law: Frances Helle of Edgewood, Sr. Canisia Clemen, OSF and Armella Clemen, both of Dubuque. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Joseph, a grandson, Jeremy Habel, in 1999; a brother, Clarence, and 5 sisters: Dorothy and Sylveria Merkes, Anna Vonderhaar, and Mary Frances and Theresa, both in infancy. She enjoyed being with her children and her grandchildren who were all her pride and joy and center of her life. Betty enjoyed homemaking, gardening and flowers, music and playing the piano and making quilts. She was a member of the Holy Cross Rosary Society and the Catholic Order of Foresters. Betty was born on August 7, 1918 in Luxemburg, Iowa, the daughter of Joseph and Mary (Wilgenbusch) Vonderhaar. She married Joseph A. Clemen on October 16, 1945 in Luxemburg, Iowa. Together they farmed North of Holy Cross until Joseph's death in 1964. Betty continued farming and raising the children until retiring in 1983.