Verrena E. (Giesemann) Dagitz-Stein, 94, of Dubuque, formerly of Bellevue, passed away on Saturday, August 24, 2024.  Funeral Services will be 11:00 am, Wednesday, August 28, 2024 at St. John Lutheran Church in Bellevue.  Family will greet friends 9:30 am until services at the church.  Burial will be in St. John Lutheran Cemetery in Bellevue.

Local arrangements entrusted with Hachmann-Mier Funeral Home & Cremation Service in Bellevue.

Verrena was born November 10, 1929, in Bellevue, Iowa, daughter of John & Amanda (Wiese) Giesemann.  She was a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church in St. Donatus, where she was baptized, confirmed, and married.  She married Melvin Dagitz on September 3, 1950.   Together they had three children.  Melvin passed away on November 4, 1984.  She later married Kenneth Stein in 1999.  He passed away on June 25, 2005.

After marriage Melvin and Verrena lived in Bellevue and were members of St. John Lutheran Church there.  She enjoyed the friendships she made in Elizabeth Circle and Chapter FL PEO.

Prior to marriage, Verrena worked at Roshek’s Grille in Dubuque.  Verrena was a homemaker while her children were growing up. She was a Den Mother and used her sewing skills to alter band uniforms, play costumes, and cheerleading uniforms.   After Melvin’s passing, she worked at Mill Valley Care Center for 15 years, most of that being in the activity department, which she loved.  She volunteered at Mill Valley Care Center and the Bellevue Butterfly Garden, receiving a volunteer award from Governor Ray.

Verrena enjoyed living in the Luther Manor Communities since 2013.

Her family was most important and always came first.  She loved being with grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Left to honor her memory are two children, Betty (Ron) Cavanagh of Dubuque, Mark (Amy) Dagitz of Des Moines, and a step-daughter, Sandra Stein of Lawrenceville,  New Jersey.  Also her seven grand-children:  Amy (John) Welter, Brad (Jen) Cavanagh, David Yeager, Matt (Karen) Cavanagh, Christopher Yeager, all of Dubuque, and Wilhelm and Anneliese Dagitz of Des Moines, as well as her great-grandchildren:  Daniel, Sophie, Thomas Welter and Sam, Andrew, Ryan, Collin Cavanagh, all of Dubuque, and many nieces & nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husbands, a daughter Judy (Neill) Yeager, and by her three brothers and their spouses, Kenneth (Thelma) Gieseman, George (Adela) Giesemann, and Virgil (Mary) Giesemann; also her in-laws Dorothy Dagitz, Donald (Lois) Dagitz, and Ella King, and two nephews, Tommy Giesemann and Gary Giesemann.