Obituary of Nettie Berven

Nettie Ellen Lutz Berven, 90 of 1654 Ridge Road, Iowa City, Iowa died Wednesday, August 13, 2003 at the Crestview Nursing and Rehab Center in West Branch, Iowa following an extended illness. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m., Sunday, August 17, 2003, at Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service in Iowa City with the Reverend David Schuldt officiating. Burial will be at Memory Gardens Cemetery in Iowa City. Visitation will be from 5 to 8pm Saturday at the funeral home. Online condolences may be sent for Nettie’s family through our website @www.gayandciha.com. Following the graveside services Sunday there will be a time of fellowship at the First United Methodist Church in Iowa City. Sunday Parking ordinance will be in effect allowing parking on both sides of the street of Jefferson and Dubuque Streets. Nettie Ellen Lutz was born on February 26, 1913, in Lone Tree, Iowa. She was the youngest of 6 children, born to Frank Osborn Lutz and Mary Ellen Billick Lutz. She lived her childhood years on a farm near Lone Tree. She married Homer DeForest Berven on April 11, 1943, in Quincy, IL. They lived all of their married life in Iowa City, IA. There were two children born to this union; Pamala Ellen Berven Jackson, of Enterprise, KS., and Sonja Louise Berven Zeithamel, of Iowa City, IA. Nettie attended the Sherwood School of Music, in Chicago, Illinois, graduating April 16, 1929. She received her Teacher’s Certificate for Piano. She taught piano and organ lessons from her home for many years and was the organist for the George L. Gay Funeral Home in Iowa City, for 50 years. Nettie was a member of the First United Methodist Church, in Iowa City, IA. She was a member of the Pi U LAN Circle, Music Study Club, The Royal Order of the Eastern Star, Sweet Adeline’s, and The Circle I of the FUMC. Nettie enjoyed playing the organ for the funeral home, helping people with their funeral plans for loved ones, at a very difficult time. She worked tirelessly, to find any piece of music that was requested, resulting in her own music library, of hundreds of pieces of music. She also enjoyed teaching music to children and adults, alike. Her youngest daughter, Sonja, made music her career, and is the Director of the Preucil School of Music. Nettie loved to attend concerts and recitals presented by the students from the Preucil School. Her daughter Pam, is the Director of Nursing, at the Enterprise Estates Nursing Center, in Enterprise, KS. She pursues her love of music, by singing in the Chancel Choir, of the First United Methodist Church, in Abilene, KS. Nettie enjoyed talking to people, her music, and her roses and plants in the yard, and of course, following the Iowa Hawkeyes, through their football and basketball seasons. Her most treasured moments were time spent with family, and attending concerts at the Hancher Auditorium, Preucil School of Music and Iowa City High School. Due to failing health she moved to the Crestview Nursing Home in West Branch, IA., in August, 2002. Nettie is survived by her two daughters, Pam and husband Dean Jackson, of Enterprise, KS., and Sonja and husband Doug Zeithamel, of Iowa City, IA. There are seven grandchildren: Frederick Lloyd Brockman III, of Phoenix, AZ.; Kimberly Ellen Brockman, of Silverdale, WA.; Beau Taylor Brockman and wife, Ashley, of Brighton, IA., William Herbert Brockman and wife Suzie, serving with the United States Air Force, in Italy; Kelly Elaine Markley and husband Mike, of White City, KS.; Bradley William Zeithamel and wife Marcia, of Iowa City, IA., and Timothy DeForest Zeithamel, of Iowa City, IA. There are 19 great-grandchildren: Madison, Austin, Blake and Haleigh, of Brighton, IA., Sawyer and Tucker, Jessie and Johnny of Cedar Rapids, IA., Andrew of Cedar Rapids, IA., and Alexis. Teyona, Tanika, and Brendan, of Silverdale, WA., Pamala, Breanna and Ryan, of White City, KS., Chantelle, of Oxford, IA; and Jenna and Billy living in Italy. There are 4 step-grandchildren: Linda Hasselman and husband Bill, of Abilene, KS., Leland Jackson and wife Denise, of Enterprise, KS., Dwayne Jackson, and wife Terri, of rural Enterprise, KS., and Laura Hoffman and husband Rick, of Navarre, KS. There are 10 step-great-grandchildren: Phil, Jessie, and Wyatt, of Navarre, KS; Trey, of rural Enterprise, KS; Dustin of Solomon, KS.; Jessie, of Abilene, KS., B.J. of Manhattan, KS., Mike, of Enterprise, KS., and Brian and Kaitlyn, of Enterprise, KS. There are 3 step-great-great grandchildren: Patton, of Fort Riley, KS.; and Logan and Kyla, of Enterprise. In addition, there are numerous nieces, nephews, and other relatives. Nettie was preceded in death by her parents, husband Homer, on March 3, 1989; four brothers, Paul and Raymond of Conesville, IA.; Evan of Tucson, AZ.; and James, of rural Lone Tree. One sister, Helen Lutz Walker, of Iowa City, IA., and a half-sister, Zella Lutz Bates, of Davenport, IA. Memorials may be left to the Preucil School of Music where a Scholarship Fund will be established in her name, or the Crestview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in West Branch, IA.