Vanita Raymond

Vanita Catherine Raymond, age 79, of Sioux City passed away on Tuesday July 19, 2016 at her residence.
Funeral services will be held at 10:30am Monday July 25, 2016 at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Sioux City with Father Donald Ries officiating. Per her wishes she will be cremated following the service on Monday and inurnment of her cremains will be in Calvary Cemetery at a later date. Visitation will begin at 4:00pm Sunday with the family present 6-8pm at the Larkin Chapel Christy Smith Funeral Home. The Rosary will be recited at 6:30pm and a Vigil service will be held at 7:00pm Sunday at the funeral home.
Vanita was born on a farm near Akron, Iowa on April 5, 1937, the daughter of Edwin and Ina (Bauerly) Blum. Shortly after, the family moved to Merrill before finally settling in the Leeds community of Sioux City. She attended Sioux City schools until she transferred to the newly opened Bishop Heelan High School where she graduated with the class of 1955.
Upon graduation she worked for Walt Curry Real Estate. She then went to work at Western Iowa Technical College where she met the love of her life John “Jack” Raymond. The couple were united in marriage on July 6, 1968 at the old St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Leeds. It was the last wedding held at that site.
Vanita was a long time member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Morningside and was very active in both the church and school. She enjoyed gardening and playing cards and visiting with her family and friends.
Vanita’s family remembers the wonderful meals, the fact that she instilled in them that charity begins at home, and hard work and sacrifice will always reap rewards. She treasured the times she could spend with her family and cherished her grandchildren. She was a true caretaker to anyone who needed assistance.
She is survived by her husband of 48 years Jack, her son David and his wife Andrea of Sioux City, her daughters: Jeanne of Minneapolis, MN., Sharon Brown and her husband Andy of Sioux City, Theresa Raymond of Sioux City, and Patty Raymond and her partner Alontay Erving of Sioux City. She is also survived by her sisters: Lucille Heenan and her husband George of Minneapolis, MN., and Marci Blum, OSF, of Dubuque, Iowa along with her 5 grandchildren: Alaric and Caleb Brown and Daniel, Nicole, and Ben Raymond.
She was preceded in death by her parents, an infant daughter Christine, and a brother Keith Blum.
A memorial fund is set up at Wells Fargo in Vanita's name to benefit the LIFE Academy located at WITCC, a Sioux City School District special education program.