Virginia Kleen

Virginia Kleen age 75 of New Hampton, Iowa died Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2018, at the Kavanagh Hospice House in Des Moines.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held 10:30 a.m. Monday, Oct. 15, 2018, at Holy Family Parish, New Hampton with Rev. Brian Dellaert celebrating the Mass.

Interment will be in St. Boniface Cemetery, Ionia with Johnathan Fisher, Luke Fisher, Gordon Richie, Mike Simon, Tony Putney, and Frank Putney serving as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers are Kody Kleen, Tony Richie, William Richie, and Jerod Richie.

Friends may greet the family 3-6 p.m. Sunday at the Hugeback-Johnson Funeral Home in New Hampton. Visitation continues an hour prior to the Mass at the church on Monday. Online condolences may be left at hugebackfuneralhome.com

Virginia Alice Kleen was born Dec. 26, 1942, in New Hampton, IA, the daughter of Victor and Mary (Eichenberger) Annett. She attended school in Bassett, IA for the first two years of her education before attending school in Ionia, IA, where she graduated from St. Boniface High School in 1961. Virginia was married and widowed at a young age due to a tragic accident.

Virginia co-owned The Highway Café in Charles City, IA, and this is where she met the love of her life, Richard. Virginia worked the front part as a waitress and cashier, and one day while Richard was in line to pay for his lunch, he said he wasn’t moving until Virginia agreed to go out on a date with him. In order to keep the line at the register moving, Virginia said yes. The couple was married on Nov. 30, 1968, in the gym at the Immaculate Conception School in Charles City, IA, because the church was damaged that year in the tornado. To this union, three children were born.

Virginia spent her time at home taking care of her family and their home. She enjoyed being a mom and watching her children grow. Virginia was active in her community and volunteered at the children’s school. She worked in the lunchroom, was a Girl Scouts’ leader, taught CCD classes at her church, and was a member of the Lioness Club and the Jaycees.

Virginia enjoyed baking, cooking, gardening, dancing, playing cards, and visiting the casino. She also enjoyed going to dinner with her sister and family dinners were very important to her. Virginia cherished spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren.

Virginia is survived by her daughters, Lisa (Michael) Simon of Pleasant Hill, IA; Kathleen (Gordon) Richie of Altoona, IA; son, Raymond (Michele) Kleen of New Hampton, IA; five grandchildren, Johnathan Fisher, Madison Simon, Luke Fisher, Lindsay Simon and Kody Kleen; four step-grandchildren, Tony, Tyna, William, and Jerod; eight step-great-grandchildren; sisters, Victoria Putney of Charles City, IA, and Allaira (Warren) George of Waterloo, IA; and, sisters-in-law, Charleen Olswold and Jo Ann (Kenneth) Gerbig of Mason City, IA.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, Richard Kleen (2015); granddaughter, Kristen Alicia Fisher; and brother, Joseph Annett.