LaVerne E. "Vernie" Bartling, 80, of Tama, passed away Tuesday, April 30, 2013 at his home in Tama. Funeral Services will be held Saturday, May 4, 2013 at 10:30 AM at Kruse-Phillips Funeral Home in Tama. Interment will follow at Oak Hill Cemetery in Tama. Visitation will be held Friday, May 3, 2013 from 6-8 PM at Kruse-Phillips Funeral Home.
LaVerne E. "Vernie" was born on May 1, 1932, in Garwin, Iowa, the son of Emil and Lily (Ballhorn) Bartling.
He was united in marriage to Shirley Hagge on July 17, 1953 at the Elim Lutheran Church in Marshalltown, Iowa. LaVerne was a heavy equipment operator, owning his own business, Better Dozing Service, running his bulldozers for sixty-years. His dozers meant the world to him next to his family. LaVerne was a confirmed and baptized member of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Tama, and a member of the Tama County Farm Bureau. For the past ten years, he was employed at the Meskwaki Bingo and Casino & Hotel. He was very proud of his perfect attendance at this time. LaVerne loved the outdoors, and had to be doing something all the time, even trying to play basketball with his grandkids. He loved teasing them and always had to bring ice cream or fudgesicles back from the store. He loved watching the Hawkeyes, both football and basketball, and he liked watching the NASCAR races on TV. He never missed any of his children's school activities when they were in school and now his grandkids. Vernie was looking forward to going on May 7th to Brody, Autumn, and Kayla's Presidents Physical Fitness program.
Preceding him in death were his parents; a daughter, Sharon K. on June 7, 2007; one sister, Lorene Yanda; and three brothers, Richard, Merle, and Ronald Bartling.
Survivors include his wife, Shirley of Tama: two daughters, Donnetta (Roger) Hinkle of Toledo, and Tamara (Scott) Shadden of Tama; three sons, Bradley (Shannon) Bartling, David and Daniel Bartling, all of Tama; and one son-in-law, Randy Lavoie of Rochester, MN; seven grandchildren, Cody, Brody, and Coby Bartling of Tama, Megan, Autumn, and Kayla Bartling of Tama, and Sue Mandelkow of Echo, MN; two great-granddaughters, Harley Kay and Lexi Mandelkow of Echo, MN; his siblings, LaRue Atchison, LaDean Watters, Arlene (Leonard) Starits, Roger (Mary) Bartling all of Toledo, Larry (Shirley) Bartling, Darlene (Richard) Ervin all of Tama, and Shirley (Dave) Schultz of Grinnell; many nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews.
A memorial fund has been established.