Bertha Heathcote

Bertha went home to her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on August 26th after a 3-year battle with dementia.

Bertha was born December 23, 1928 to Andrew Miller and Karolina Wanner Miller in Wishek, North Dakota. She was the 8th child of 10 and was very proud of her German heritage and farm girl background. She recalled that she completed her Lutheran confirmation studies in both German and English.

She married Robert R. Heathcote on January 11, 1947 in Des Moines, Iowa, where she and “Bob” raised their family. To this marriage were born 5 children; David, Karolyn, Roberta, Diane and Jean.

Bertha was devoted to her faith in Jesus Christ and actively served her community church where ever she lived, through music, choir, Sunday School teacher, vacation Bible school, and Bible study leader for which her group was known as “Bertha’s Bunch”.

Besides being a Blue-Ribbon Mom and Grandma, through her life she worked at a variety of jobs, but the one she loved the most was being part of the custodial staff at Hoover High School. She retired from Des Moines Independent School District in 1992. After which she and Bob bought an acreage in Pilot Mound and enjoyed their country life. After Bob passed away she moved back to the Des Moines area.

Bertha had many hobbies from baking, which won her many Blue Ribbons at the Iowa State Fair, to quilting, flower and vegetable gardening, and canning/preserving food.

She was proceeded in death by her husband, Robert, her parents and 8 of her siblings.

She is survived by her sister Anna Duer of Raleigh, North Carolina; her children, David Heathcote (Virginia), Karolyn Wells (Michael), Roberta Seamen (Steven), Diane Smith (Dan) and Jean Murray (Mark); 9 grandchildren; 16 great grandchildren; 6 step grandchildren and 3 great great grandchildren.

Visitation will be held from 6pm to 8pm, Thursday, August 31st, at Lutheran Church of the Cross, 1701 8th Street SW, Altoona, Iowa. Funeral services will be held at 2pm, Friday, September 1st at Lutheran Church of the Cross in Altoona, Iowa. Burial will be in the Pilot Mound Cemetery in Pilot Mound, Iowa

The family wishes to thank the staff of Valley View Village Health Center Memory Unit, and Hospice of the Midwest for the loving care they provided Bertha. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions can be made to Lutheran Church of the Cross, Altoona, Iowa.

Online condolences may be expressed at www.hamiltonsfuneralhome.com

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