Vernamae M Kindy

Vernamae Myrtle (Becker) Kindy, 76, passed peacefully from this world into the next on April 29, 2012.

She was born on March 4, 1936, in Almena Township in upstate Wisconsin to Goldie C. (Ries) Becker and William Henry Becker. She was the third child in a large family that included three sisters and six brothers. Growing up on the "Rocky Ranch" there was always work to be done, and Verna preferred to do farm chores rather than help out with cooking or dishes. One of the stories she liked to tell was about one of her first jobs: she worked as a teller at the Almena bank, and one day when she was working, the bank was robbed, and she was tied up with shoelaces and locked in the bathroom. She would laugh as she finished the story by saying that the robbers were caught just 30 minutes afterward.

Verna married Delmas DuWaine ("Blix") Peterson on September 25, 1956. They lived in the Twin Cities (Minnesota) and had two daughters together: Nancy Jean Peterson and Vicki Lynn (Peterson) Pool. They divorced in 1968.

Verna was remarried on January 30, 1971, to Phillips Kindy. Their marriage included a move to south Florida, a climate of sunshine and palm trees that Verna loved and where she chose to remain even after Phillips's death in 1972. While living in Florida, Verna enrolled in college, earned her bachelors and masters degrees in accounting, became a CPA, and later opened up her own small business accounting firm. She believed strongly in education for women as a means of professional advancement, and she was proud that her two daughters earned their undergraduate degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Verna also was glad to know that both daughters found happiness in marriage, and she welcomed her sons-in-law, Dennis W. Drews and Don Ray Pool, into the family. Verna was a devoted grandmother to Willem, Samuel, and Louise Drews, and she stayed young at heart through them.

In January 2003, after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, Verna moved to Indianapolis to be closer to her family: daughter Nancy and family lived close by in Lafayette, Indiana, and daughter Vicki and husband relocated to Zionsville, Indiana, later in 2003. During her time in Indianapolis, Verna especially enjoyed getting to spend more time with her sister Marcie, and she was happy to see all the friends and family who came to visit her. Verna's love of music continued throughout her life, and she always smiled and sang along with Frank Sinatra's classic tunes.

Vernamae was preceded in death by her parents, her husbands, and her brother Leon. Along with her daughters, sons-in-law, and her grandchildren, Verna is survived by eight of her siblings: Alice Carson (husband Ray) of Duluth, Minnesota; Wilbert Becker (wife Elaine) of Apple Valley, Minnesota; Marcella Thompson of Indianapolis, Indiana; Allen Becker (wife Anita Raffesberger) of Eau Claire, Wisconsin; Warren Becker (wife Julie) of St. Paul, Minnesota; Ralph Becker of Almena; Gladys Birkholz of Genoa City, Wisconsin; and Russell Becker (wife Joy) of rural Barron, Wisconsin. She is also survived by her sister-in-law, Gloria Becker of North Branch, Minnesota, and many nieces and nephews.

Verna was much loved, and she will be missed.