Delia R. Seiwert

Delia Ruth "Dee" (VanLeeuwen) Seiwert, 93, of St. Paul, passed away at 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, January 9, 2018 at Prairie Mission Retirement Village in St. Paul.

She was born November 27, 1924 in Walnut, Kansas to John and Ruth (Mudd) VanLeeuwen.  Delia graduated from St. Paul High School in 1942.

After graduation, she moved to Fort Scott where she worked for Key Overalls and Western Insurance. On November 22, 1952, she and Peter C. Seiwert were married in Walnut. Following marriage, she worked as a cook at the Walnut Public School and provided housekeeping services for Tillie Schoenhofer for many years and others who needed help in the community. Delia lived most of her life in Walnut with her husband, Pete Seiwert, where they farmed and raised their family of six children.

She was active in her community at Walnut serving on the library board, was a member of St. Patrick's Church and its Altar Society, Ruritan Club, and helped with many community activities and fundraisers. She was always kind, caring, and a gentle soul. She loved children, especially her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. In her retirement years, she enjoyed reading books, watching game shows, and visiting with friends. She enjoyed the wonderful activities at Prairie Mission Retirement Village. She was a very spiritual person saying the rosary nearly every day in her retirement years.

After her husband's passing, she moved to St. Paul, Kansas to be near her daughters. As her health declined, she moved to Prairie Mission Retirement Village in December of 2012 where she lived in assisted living for one year before transitioning to the nursing home there. She provided many years of patient care for her disabled daughter, Barbara Seiwert, in the family home until she moved to Prairie Mission.

Survivors include:

Two Sons - Vince Seiwert (Joyce) of Chicopee, KS

Bernie Seiwert (Lisa) of Great Bend, KS

Three Daughters – Kathleen Shields of St. Paul, KS

Jane O'Bryan (David) of St. Paul, KS

Susan Jacquinot of St. Paul, KS

Two Brothers - Jerry VanLeeuwen (Dorothy) of St. Paul, KS

Bob VanLeeuwen of Dayton, OH

Grandchildren and Great-Grandchildren -

Adam and Eric Seiwert

Christi (Russell) Yarnell and Orrie, Davis and Alta

Becky (Nate) Adamson and Kayleigh and Adalynn

Hannah (Devon) Degenhardt and Grayson

Emily Seiwert and fiancé, Mark Kennedy

Jenny Dee and Sarah O'Bryan

Julie and Lynn Jacquinot

She was preceded in death by her husband, Peter Seiwert, on April 8, 1998; a daughter, Barbara Seiwert, on August 24, 2017; her twin brother, Donald VanLeeuwen; brothers, Jack VanLeeuwen, Hubert VanLeeuwen, and Leroy VanLeeuwen; sisters, Roselle Marnell, Vera Karleskint, and Mary Seidl; and a stillborn sister, Cecilia.

Funeral Mass will be at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, January 13, 2018 at St. Francis Catholic Church in St. Paul.  Burial will follow at St. Patrick's Catholic Cemetery in Walnut.  The rosary will be prayed at 7:00 p.m. Friday, at Prairie Mission Retirement Village where the family will receive friends immediately following the rosary.

Memorials are suggested to St. Francis Catholic Church in St. Paul or Prairie Mission Retirement Village Activity Fund.  These may be left at or mailed to Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home, P.O. Box 374, Parsons, KS 67357.

A special "thank you" to the staff at Prairie Mission Retirement Village for providing for her care.  Dee's family would also like to thank Mike Carter and his amazing staff for the excellent health care they provided to her throughout the years and the Girard Hospital Staff for their wonderful care in her recent hospital stay there.

Online condolences may be left at www.forbeshoffman.com .