Velma D. Forret

Velma (Mrs. Jim) Forret, 85, of DeWitt, Iowa, passed away peacefully on Sunday, October 27, 2019, at Friendship Manor in Rock Island, Illinois.

Velma was born October 5, 1934, in Clinton, Iowa, to Harvey and Alma (Schnepel) Smith. After graduating from DeWitt High School in 1952, she worked at Iowa Mutual Insurance Company in DeWitt until 1955. She married James Forret on July 2, 1955, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in DeWitt, and they resided in Calamus, Iowa. Velma thoroughly enjoyed her role as a homemaker, raising six children. She later worked for Wheatland Manor Nursing Home until retirement.

Velma enjoyed cooking, sewing, knitting, cross-stitching, reading Debbie Macomber novels, and cheering on the Chicago Cubs. She especially liked baking cookies and other desserts and celebrating holidays with her family. Velma and Jim loved to go out dancing with their friends at CALCO and the Fairyland Ballroom. They celebrated 28 years of marriage together.

She is survived by her children: Deb (Mark) Braverman, Barb (Steve) Pethoud, Karen (Alan) Harder, Steve (Anne) Forret, Monica Forret and Joseph “Doc” McCaffrey, and Jeff (Sharon) Forret; her brother Bob (Anita) Smith, her brother-in-law Frank (Betty) Forret, her aunt Verna Smith; ten grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband Jim and their infant son David, her parents and Harry Carstensen, her sisters-in-law Mary Ellen Dalton and Edith Smith, and numerous aunts and uncles.

Visitation will be from 4-8 p.m. Sunday, November 3, 2019, at Schultz Funeral Home, DeWitt. A Funeral Service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday, November 4, 2019, at DeWitt United Methodist Church. Burial will follow in Calvary Cemetery, Grand Mound.

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