Voneda (Vonnie) E. Herrmann Stiewe

June 10, 1927 – January 4, 2023

Posted

Voneda (Vonnie) E. Herrmann Stiewe, 95, passed away on Jan. 4, 2023 at the family home in Chimacum, Washington.

She was born June 10, 1927 to Jacob P. and Lydia Pfiefle Herrmann at the farm home in Alfred, North Dakota. She went to the two-room grade school at Alfred and then high school at Gackle, North Dakota, commuting in a homemade canopy on a small pickup with five other students on the eight-mile trip.

Together her sister Mable and she helped their parents in the fields. Especially during the haying season with very long days. At 4 p.m. she would go home to milk the cows (22) by hand, feed the calves, hogs and chickens before the other three came home for supper. During harvest time sister Esther (who was living in town) and Voneda would hire out to other farmers to set up the grain bundles into shocks working in the heat and the dust of the day. "But it was a good life," she said.

She worked at Strobergs Laundry in Cambridge, Minnesota and the 5 and Dime in downtown Minneapolis before going to Yakima, Wash. to work. That is where she met Robert (Bob) Stiewe whom she married Sept. 10, 1948 in Jamestown, North Dakota.

Bob was in the Army and stationed at Fort Worden at Port Townsend. Their first home was on the Norris Short farm in Chimacum then on Marrowstone Island on Nolton Road. From there they lived in various parts of the United States. In 1955 when his time in the service was complete they returned to the Port Townsend area, settling in 1964 on the famous Egg and I Road in Chimacum where they raised their children Janet, Bill, June and Bruce. It is still the family home.

Voneda enjoyed gardening in her flowers and traveled to Europe two times, Canada, Alaska, Mexico and most of the states.

Her first love was her faith in God; second was church, family and friends.

She retired from Crown Zellerbach in 1983 and Port Townsend Paper in 1989 as a Stores Specialist. She was active in the CZ mill retirees luncheon committee beginning in 2001.

Preceding her in death are her three sisters Lena, Esther and Mable; husband Robert in 1996; son Bruce in 1970; grandson Robert "Robbie" Larsen in 2009; daughter June Larsen in 2018; and son Bill Stiewe in 2019.

Surviving is daughter Janet (Ralph) Meyer of Sequim, Wash.; June's husband Charles "Peko" Larsen of Port Angeles, Wash.; grandchildren Kimberly Jackson of Ferndale, Wash. and Ralph Quinn Meyer of Sequim; great-grandchildren are Brooke and Nickolas Jackson of Ferndale, Camrin Meyer of Yakima, Wash. and Josie Meyer of Sequim; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins throughout the states.

Vonnie was blessed to have found another love in her life with Denny Severson of Nordland, Wash. They spent 24 years enjoying camping, traveling and just being together.

 

She was a charter member of the Port Ludlow Community Church at 9534 Oak Bay Road. Her service will be held there at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25.