Obituary

Rena Fadden passed away unexpectedly on Sunday (May 16, 2010) in Newton. She was 90 years old.

Rena, daughter of Warren and Bertha Cleaveland, was born in 1919 in Barron County, Iowa. She grew up on farms in Iowa and Minnesota with her brother Wesley and sister, Beulah. She met Floyd Fadden while working on a farm. They were married in October 1937, in Mora, Minn. A few years later, they moved to Wayzata, Minn., with their daughters, Janet and Donna, and became residents of “Skunk Hollow,” a cottage on Whitney McMillan’s property where Floyd was the caretaker. Rena's kind nature made this house a comforting and caring place. Rena loved taking road trips all across the United States in a camper truck with Floyd. She enjoyed visiting family stationed in Germany and traveling to celebrate holidays with relatives. After Floyd retired, they moved to McGregor, Minn.

After he passed away, Rena stayed involved with her church and community. In 2000, she moved to Canon City, Colo., to be near her daughter, Jan and husband Don. She moved with them to Kansas in 2004, where she continued to be active and involved in the world around her. Rena liked crocheting items for others. She made countless lap robes for the Fort Dodge Soldier’s Home and other rest homes in the area. Her last project was making small blankets for young children facing surgery. Rena was a wonderfully wise, accepting, kind and gentle woman with a strong faith who will be greatly missed by her family and friends.

Rena is survived by her daughters, Janet Newton of Newton, and Donna (Jack) Wieb of Green Valley, Ariz.; grandchildren, Jon (Teri) Newton, Karen (Kelii) Rogers, Andrew (Sallyann) Newton, and Jane Ann (Marc) Hutson; great-grandchildren, Ryan (Jennifer) Rogers, Katie Rogers, Zachary Hutson and Tyler Hutson; great-great-grandchildren Madison Keeting, Jaksyn McGuire, and Malia Rogers; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Floyd Fadden; brother, Wesley; sister, Beulah; and son-in-law Donald Newton.

A memorial service was on Tuesday at Zion Lutheran Church in Newton. The family plans to gather in the fall to celebrate and remember Rena’s life.