Loewen, Velma J. (1953-2005)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 2005 Feb 14 p. 12

Birth date: 1953 Mar 4

text of obituary:

VELMA J. LOEWEN

Velma J. Loewen, 51, died Jan. 10, 2005. She was born March 4, 1953, to Harry and Verna Loewen in Mountain Lake, Minn.

She was baptized in May 1971 at Bethel Mennonite Church of Mountain Lake and later maintained her membership at Mennonite Church of Normal, Ill.

After graduating from Mountain Lake High School, she received a bachelor of arts in music education and organ from Goshen (Ind.) College in 1975 and a master of arts in hospital and health administration from the University of Iowa, Iowa City, in 1983.

She served as administrative resident, including acting vice president of finance and acting director of medical records at Mennonite Hospital, now BroMenn Healthcare, 1983-84; assistant administrator and director of materials, 1984-87, at Fairbury (Ill.) Hospital; administrator at Meadows Mennonite Home, Chenoa, Ill., 1987-98; and administrator from 1999 to the present at Good Samaritan Home, Flanagan, Ill. She was a member of the Mennonite Health Association, the Inter-Mennonite Council on Aging, the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, as well as the American Association of Hospital Administrators.

She was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease in her 20s, and lived with declining kidney function over the next 20 years. She required dialysis for three years before receiving the gift of a kidney transplant on June 12, 2004. She felt well and returned to work for the next six months, yet subsequently developed lymphoma, which quickly progressed and caused her death.

She enjoyed singing, playing organ and piano, attending concerts, watching car races and playing with her cats. She loved her friends and family and often traveled to be with them.

Survivors include her stepmother, Mildred Quiring; and a brother-in-law, John Blosser.

She was preceded in death by a sister, Janlee Loewen Blosser.