Vella Ann Lower

Vella Ann Lower, age 80, of Iola, Kansas, passed away on Sunday, November 22, 2020, at Lawrence Memorial Hospital in Lawrence, Kansas.

She was born on December 18, 1939, in Garnett, Kansas, the daughter of D. Dale and Dema M. (Woods) Hobart. She met her future husband, Gary K. Lower, on a rural school bus when Vella started high school. The couple dated 4 years during their high school days and were married on April 8, 1957, in Miami, Oklahoma. Two children, Deborah and Gary were born to this union. They spent most of their married life in Iola, Kansas.

Vella began working outside the home when the children started school. Their children attended the Iola schools during their school years. Vella worked at Columbia Metal for two years as a clerk; Quality Packing for six years as office manager; and finally at Berg Manufacturing/Haldex Brake for 31 years as executive secretary and engineering secretary in charge of blueprints for the factory.

She was a member of the First Baptist Church. Vella loved spoiling her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She loved flowers, shrubs, trees of all nature; she also enjoyed dirt track racing and basketball games. Vella worked at gardening, canning, and freezing foods. She always had a pet kitty or sometimes a dog.

Vella was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Gary K. Lower on April 7, 2018; her brother, James L. Hobart; and great-grandson, Zachary Keith Shelly on July 31, 2020.

She is survived by her daughter, Deborah Hegwald of Omaha, Nebraska; son, Gary E. Lower, and wife, Shannon of Iola; six grandchildren, Stacey Hegwald-Ebert and husband, Lee of Hamburg, Iowa, James Lower and wife, Jennifer of Iola, Trevor Hegwald and wife, Michelle of Omaha, Nebraska, Jennifer Hegwald-Anania and husband, Tony of Omaha, Kasha Lower-Bain and husband, Steven of Iola, and Gary M. Lower of Iola; and fifteen great-grandchildren; brother-in-law, Donald “Butch” Lower and wife, Mary Anne of Humboldt; and two sisters-in-law, Donna Lower-Nord of Iola and Judy Schroeder of Topeka, Kansas.

Funeral services will be held at 2:00 PM on Friday, November 27, 2020, at the First Baptist Church in Iola, Kansas. Burial will follow in the Mount Hope Cemetery, Humboldt, Kansas. Vella's family will be present to greet friends from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM Friday afternoon prior to the funeral service at the church. Memorial contributions may be made to First Baptist Church and left in the care of the funeral home. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.feuerbornfuneral.com .