Wilmina "Mina" Fear

     Wilmina H. (Mina) Fear passed away on Monday, Oct. 21, 2019 at Accura Healthcare of Spirit Lake. Funeral services will be held at Calvary United Methodist Church in Arnolds Park on Friday, Oct. 25 with burial that afternoon in Lone Tree Cemetery at Everly. Visitation takes place Thursday evening from 5-7:30 p.m. at the church.

     Mina was born on June 12, 1924 on a farm near Hull in Sioux County to Peter and Alice (Vanden Berg) Gerritsen. She moved with her parents to Bigelow, Minnesota for a few years before moving to Orange City. She graduated from eighth grade at the Christian School in 1937 and from Orange City High School in 1941.

     After attending Tri State Business College in Sioux City, she was employed in the offices at Midwest Livestock Commission Firm and later the Lyman Esse Office in the Livestock Exchange Building in Sioux City.

On Nov. 16. 1944 she married Lyle Harold Miller of Titonka where they made their home until Harold went into the army during World War II. They lived in Lawton, Oklahoma (Ft. Sill) where daughter Doris Jean was born. When Doris was one month old, they were transferred to Fort Knox, Kentucky. After his military discharge in 1947 they returned to Titonka where son Jerry Ray was born.

     While there, she enjoyed managing the roller skating rink with Harold, rode a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, piloted an Aeronica Champion airplane and drove truck while being a mother.

In February of 1954 she and her children moved to Le Mars. While living there, she was employed by the Drivers License Division of the Iowa Highway Patrol and later in the office of the Kohout Cap Company.

Mina married Ralph Fear on July 14,1960 and moved her family to their Everly home. Dec. 9, 2017 she moved for the last time to a condo in Okoboji, across the street from Doris.

     Mina was a faithful member of the Methodist Churches in Titonka, Le Mars, Everly and Arnolds Park. She was involved in the Women’s Society, taught Sunday School, sang in the choir and served on the administrative board as the secretary. Mina was a member of the Spencer Chapter of Sweet Adelines, was a volunteer distributing commodities and enjoyed crocheting. She was a seamstress and sold Stanley Home Products for over 30 years. Mina was an avid card and cribbage player and loved spending time with family. She made many friends as a member of the Blue Water Campers. For her 85^th birthday, she went on a hot air balloon ride with her granddaughter Shelli and had also ridden in a helicopter.

     She is survived by: daughter Doris Welle of Okoboji; son and daughter-in-law Jerry and Alyce Miller of Fairmont, Minnesota; step-daughter Betty Cox of Trenton, Missouri, half-sister Julie and husband Jim Buckler of Elkhorn, Nebraska; 14 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren, 13 great-great-grandchildren, other relatives and many friends.

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