Penelope Veatch

Penelope “Penny” Veatch, 78, of Fontanelle, died Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021, at Adair County Memorial Hospital in Greenfield.

Penelope “Penny” Ann Veatch was born Jan. 7, 1943, to Catherine “Fern” Dory and Kenneth Jefferson Sickels. Penny was the middle child and is survived by two brothers, Kenneth “K.J” Jr. Sickels and his wife Ardith, and Tim Sickels; also known as “Timmy,” (as she would still call him), and his wife, Sue. Penny grew up on a farm in Adair County.

She attended country school at Washington #1 and Washington #6 in rural Adair County and high school in Fontanelle. Penny graduated high school in 1961 and took a job at Traveler’s Insurance in Des Moines for a year before returning to Adair County to marry and raise her family. Penny married Harold Olen Veatch, May 12, 1962, at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Massena.

Harold and Penny raised four children: Jeff (who preceded them both in death), Angela “Angie,” Jason and Katherine “Katie.” Penny enjoyed time with her children and grandchildren. She was a stay at home mom while her children were younger and spent time working in retail (Place’s, Fountain Florist, Fabric Shop, Avon, Amway), where she could be around people, something she also loved to do!

She supported Harold’s construction business by keeping the books. After she retired from retail, she worked part-time at Nodaway Valley schools in the lunch room which she also truly enjoyed!

It was farm life in her earlier years along with the help of her mother, whom she adored, all that the land can provide and developed her love for gardening, canning, baking, dressing chickens, and had a unique ability to be thrifty while doing this. She loved to garage sale and was very skilled in finding the best bargains there or at the local second-hand shops. One of her favorite shops to frequent with friends Becky Stuva, Kathie Miller, Kay Calkins or Deb Sickles was the “Re-Run” shop in Creston. Penny loved to quilt, embroidery and sew, and was disappointed in her later years when she had to give this up due to her failing eyesight.

Penny would do anything for anyone and if you needed something, and she had it, she would gladly give it to you. It didn’t have to be material things either, as Penny developed over the years a reputation for a kind ear to listen, whatever you were going through and words of encouragement. With this in mind, she created a local cancer group and held it at her house.

Over the years, all who loved her would pick up on her unique phrases and insightful thoughts and would fondly refer to them as “Pennyisms.” Many of those who knew and loved her might often hear and now say “Let go and let God” and/or “Any job worth doing, is worth doing well.”

Penny was a member of the Altar and Rosary Society at St. John’s Catholic Church in Greenfield, a member and treasurer for the Quilt Guild and a board member for the Adair County Cancer Society.

Penny is survived by three children: Angie (Dwight Lauer) of Winterset, Jason (wife Jo) of West Des Moines, Katie (Nathaniel Branzuela) of Lincoln, California; eight grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren: Travis Veatch (Amber) and their children Lucas and Kinsley, Justina Veatch (friend Billy Burd) and their children Jayda and Devin, their father TJ Hawley (wife Carmen) of Greenfield and their children Zander and Brooklyn Burd of Joplin, Missouri, Kyle Lauer (Dawn) and their children Natalie and Evan, Amanda (Chad Green) and their children: Calin, Layni and Chett, Jordan Veatch (Arizona), Jake Veatch of Waukee, Dylan Branzuela of California and Owen Branzuela of California.

Additional blessings and those surviving Penny are — grandchildren and great-grandchildren: Jessica Green, Chad (Jill) and their children, Aspen and Braylon; Scott (Brandy) and their children, Noah, Keaton and Kiptyn; Ashley (Kendall) and their children, Kenzley and Koen.

Penny is preceded in death by her husband, Harold Veatch; son, Jeffery “Jeff” Veatch; her mother, Catherine “Fern” Dory Sickels; her father-in-law, Charles “Olen” Veatch and her grandparents.

Services were held on Tuesday, November 23, 2021, at 10:30 a.m. at the St. John’s Catholic Church in Greenfield, with burial following in the Fontanelle Cemetery. Father Phillip Bempong officiated the service. Online condolences may be left to the family at www.steenfunerals.com.

Steen Funeral Home of Fontanelle was in charge of arrangements.