Vida Curtis

Vida Suzanne Curtis was called home on December 16, 2020. She was born January 24, 1926 at Graham Hospital in Keokuk, IA, the eighth child of William and Lula Noonan Fowler. Raised in Montrose, Iowa, Vida loved school and sports. She married Dean Mitchell on October 9, 1943, who was killed in action during the Battle of the Bulge. Vida then moved to Washington DC to live with her sister and work for the Department of Agriculture. While there she began dating Howard Curtis, also from Montrose, and serving in the Navy. They married on June 20, 1946 and lived in Peoria, IL. They soon relocated back to Montrose to live on and run the Curtis family farm located on the Mississippi River while Howard continued his meteorology career in Burlington.

Vida began a life-long love of growing and preserving many types of produce from their large garden and orchard, which blessed not just her family but many others. Family favorites included apple pie, apple butter and bread and butter pickles. She also raised many varieties of flowers and enjoyed making arrangements.

In 1965 the family relocated to Norwalk, Iowa for 10 years before Howard retired and then they returned back to the farm in Montrose. After Howard’s death, Vida moved to Des Moines to be closer to family and enjoyed being involved in her grandchildren and great grandchildren’s activities.

Vida’s faith in God was the most important part of her life and she exemplified the Proverbs 31 Woman. Her children, grandchildren and great -grandchildren were her greatest achievements. She was actively involved with her children in Sunday School, 4H, Scouts, Room Mom activities, and any extra-curricular activity or sport they were involved in. She had a very strong work ethic, loved to sew, crochet, craft, sing, play games and spend time with her siblings and extended family where laughter could always be heard. She absolutely loved the color purple and Iowa Hawkeye basketball games. Her all-time favorite coach was Tom Izzo of Michigan State, much to the amusement of her family.

She was an active member of The Montrose Presbyterian Church, Crusaders, Mariners and Eastern Stars. After moving to Des Moines, in her later years, she regularly attended Des Moines Fellowship Church, where she was much loved, and became the honorary grandmother to many.

She is survived by her children, Frank (Debbie) Curtis, Norwalk, IA, Jeonia Curtis, Des Moines, IA, Kristi (John) Stockton, Leawood, KS, and son-in-law Donnie Roach, Norwalk, IA; grandchildren, Stacy (Darin) Cox, Todd (Kristi) Curtis, Curt (Missy) Roach, Kevin Roach, Zac Stockton, Tate Stockton; great –grandchildren, McKenna, Cooper and Quinn Cox, Bailey, Garret and Madison Roach, Miles and Morgan Curtis.

She was preceded in death by her husbands, her children, Nancy Kay (1949), Woody (1965), and Suzette (2019), her parents and her siblings, Ivor (Ruthann) Fowler, Minnie (Hayward) Braddock, Ruth (John) Davis, John Edwin (Francis) Fowler, Wilma (Travis) Hailey, Louis (Jeanette) Fowler, and Robert (Lila) Fowler.

Funeral services will be held Wednesday, December 30, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. with visitation from 12-2 p.m. at Hamilton’s on Westown Parkway, 3601 Westown Parkway in West Des Moines. Burial will follow on Thursday, December 31st at 11:00 a.m. at Montrose Cemetery in Montrose, IA.

Memorials may be directed to the family to be distributed to the various charities that were close to Vida’s heart. Online condolences may be expressed at www.HamiltonsFuneralHome.com.

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