Verdean Loeltz

Franchesca Zenitsky

04/28/2009

We only met Verdean 8 years ago when we moved to Des Moines, but she has always been a presence in our life on 62nd Street. From the beginning, she gave us her friendship and I was amazed and amused to find her everywhere at any time, mowing neighbors' yards, helping out when needed, and engaging all of us with her stories and laughter. She absolutely adored my son, Lorenzo, and loved watching him play and grow through the years. He often went to her house to eat cookies and chat and dance with her "boyfriend" (the cane) in her kitchen. He learned to cross the street all by himself just for those visits and he loved her.
Verdean had a special place in her heart for my dogs and always saved them scraps and leftovers for Lorenzo to come fetch and the dogs to eagerly devour. She also befriended my mother, Maria, while mom briefly lived with me years ago and they remained good friends all these years. Whenever she came to visit me, my mother would always run to Verdean's house for visits and a cold beer. Verdean shared many holiday meals with my family as an honored guest and always brought food to share. Last Christmas just seemed wanting without her in the mix.
Verdean was, to us, a steady and comforting presence in the neighborhood and in our lives. She had little family of her own, so she embraced her neighbors, and her neighbors embraced her back. She was both a friend and surrogate grandmother to my family and she made us smile and feel welcome whenever her face lit up at the sight of us. And the strength and spirit and command of her life she always embodied helped remind me that I also had those attributes to give to myself and others. I speak for all my family and neighbors in saying that we loved Verdean and will miss her presence in our lives very much.