Gertrude Vahlkamp, 94, of Wayne, formerly of Winisde, died Thursday, June 11, 2020 at Providence Medical Center in Wayne.
Services will be held Thursday, June 18 at 11 a.m. at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Winside. The Rev. William Engebretsen will officiate. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. until service time at the church. Burial will be in Pleasant View Cemetery at Winside.
Memorials may be directed to St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Winside, Lutheran High Northeast, Concordia University Seward Scholarship Fund, Mission Central, Mapleton, Iowa, Alzheimer’s Society and Cancer Society, Orphan Grain Train or the Lutheran Hour.
Arrangements are with Hasemann Funeral Home of Wayne.
Gertrude Matilda Vahlkamp was born Sept. 21, 1925 on a farm in Crawford, County, Iowa to Herbert and Johanna (Jacobs) Bruhn. She attended Country School #9 near Soldier, Iowa and graduated from Mapleton High School in Iowa. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education at Concordia University, Seward, and her Master’s Degree in Special Education at the University of Nebraska, Omaha.
Gertrude married Edwin Vahlkamp on June 20, 1958 in Sioux City, Iowa. The couple farmed near Winside for 30 years. For several years, Gertrude was an elementary special education teacher for Wayne Public School before her retirement. In January of 1989 Gertrude married Dale Heins. From 1989 to 1990 Gertrude lived in Papua, New Guinea. She was a member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church of Winside, LWML, Ladies Aid, and Legion Auxiliary Roy Reed Post #252 of Winside, Special Olympics, and various other organizations.
Survivors include her children, Ruth (Jerry) Wurtz of Lincoln, Eric (Arlyn) Vahlkamp of Winside, and Margie (Donald) Campbell of Council Bluffs, Iowa; two grandchildren, Vanessa Wurtz (Russell Morris) and Edwin Vahlkamp; 12 nieces and nephews; many step and foster children and grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents; three husbands, Homer Houdersheldt, Jr., Edwin C. Vahlkamp, in 1988, and Dale Heins; a sister, Lillian (Bruhn) Knutzen; a grandson, Paul Wurtz; and special friend, Don Matthes.
Pallbearers will be Craig Knutzen, Steve Knutzen, David Knutzen, Kenneth Jaeger, Dean Jaeger, Richard Jaeger, David Krueger, Russell Morris and Lonnie Matthes.
