Corrie Georgene VanDeest

Born in Ashby, Minnesota on November 26, 1915
Departed on October 10, 2005. Resided in Cedar Rapids, IA.

Memorial

Corrie Georgene Van Deest, 89, 1606 C Ave NW died Monday, October 10, 2005 at Mercy Medical Center following a short illness. Services: 1:00 P.M. Thursday at First Presbyterian Church. Burial: Cedar Memorial Park Cemetery. The Rev. Lorene Wunder will officiate. Cedar Memorial Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Surviving are two sons, Thomas Edward, wife Paula and daughter Sarah Ellen and Timothy Wayne all of Cedar Rapids.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her sisters Ruth Martens and Ellen Risbrudt, her husband Wayne, and a son John Roy.
Corrie was born November 26, 1915 in Ashby, Minnesota the daughter of Edward Torkel and Sophia Risbrudt. She moved with her family to Aberdeen, South Dakota, and at age 12 moved again to Minneapolis, Minnesota. She graduated from John Marshall High School and attended the University of Minnesota. During World War II she moved to Los Angeles, California, where she worked in the University of Southern California's Neurology Department at Los Angeles General Hospital. Later she returned to Minneapolis where she worked for the Hennepin Community Health Service and the Lang and Raugland Architectural Firm. It was while she was in Los Angeles that she met a young soldier, Wayne Van Deest, whom she would marry at the end of the war on September 15, 1945 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They were married 58 years.
Corrie devoted her life to the well-being of her husband and sons and later her daughter-in-law and beloved granddaughter, Sarah Ellen. She was unselfish, humble and shy and never sought to call attention to herself. She was extremely proud of her Norwegian ancestry and was a charter member of the Restauration Lodge of the Sons of Norway. Additionally she was a member of the DK Chapter of P.E.O., a 30 year volunteer at the St. Lukes Hospital Flower Stall and a long-time Cedar Rapids election official. She was a member of First Presbyterian Church.
In lieu of flowers, donations are encouraged to be given to the Parkinsons Association for research.

Service

Cemetery