Velma Irene Sprehe of Buckley took her last few breaths and departed this earth at 11:04 a.m. Thursday, January 24, 2013, one month shy of her 93rd birthday at Heritage Manor in Chillicothe. She lived a long and fruitful life and has now joined her husband Ray who died October 12, 2008.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, January 30, 2013, at St. John's Lutheran Church, 206 E. Main Street, Buckley with Rev. Daniel A. Olson officiating. Burial will follow in St. John's Cemetery, Buckley.
Visitation will be from 4-7 p.m. Tuesday, January 29, 2013, at Baier Family Funeral Services, 306 E Lincoln Street, Buckley and at the church Wednesday one hour before the funeral service.

Velma was born February 24, 1920, in Buckley the daughter of Menke and Laura Steinmann Janssen. She married Raymond H. Sprehe September 20, 1942 at St. John's Lutheran Church, Buckley.

Survivors include four children; Carol (James) Liston of Pacifica, CA, Joyce (Robert) Close of Chillicothe, Rev. Ronald (Esther) Sprehe of Amherst, NY, and Norma (Todd) Gledhill of Syracuse, IN. Velma is also survived by five granddaughters, Tammy Boyd, Rachel Piering, Gretchen Sprehe, Elizabeth Sprehe and Christine Sprehe; five grandsons, Jerry Kirk Randall, Nathan Piering, Ben Piering, Aaron Piering and Mark Gledhill and two great-grandsons, Jerry Stephen Randall and Mason Raymond Piering; two sisters, Arleen Houtzel of Buckley, Marie (Ralph) Stroup of Buckley and numerous other relatives.

She was preceded in death by her parents; one sister, Erna Mull and two brothers-in-law.

Velma graduated from Buckley High School in 1938 and attended a business school in Kankakee. She was a member of St. John's Lutheran Church, Buckley.

She performed many different jobs in conjunction with being a mom and grandma including: office secretary in Kankakee, school cook at Christ Lutheran School in Peoria, assistant librarian at Manual Training High School in Peoria, Admissions assistant at IUPU in Fort Wayne; private secretary at Auers Investment Co in Fort Wayne and Investments Dept. at Lincoln National Bank also in Fort Wayne.

Memorials may be made to Christ Lutheran High School, Buckley or an organization of the donor's choice.

Please sign the guestbook at www.baierfuneralservices.com