Verdella "Della" Sidebottom

Verdella "Della"  Sidebottom, age 86, passed away November 27, 2023. She was born January 16, 1937 to Peter and Clara (Blum) Lefeber in Portsmouth, IA.  Verdella was born and raised on a farm near Portsmouth, lowa, and helped her dad doing fieldwork from a young age. Once she graduated from Saint Mary Our Lady of Fatima High School in Portsmouth, Iowa, she worked for four years at Saylor Coffee Shop in Harlan, lowa, where she met her husband-to-be, Marlin. For a few months after they were married, they traveled for Marlin's work with Western Outdoor Advertising Company.  After first moving to a farm south of Minden, Iowa, they ended up farming and raising livestock near Persia, lowa, and she worked side-by-side with her husband farming until they retired and moved to Council Bluffs in 1995, where they lived together since. After moving to Council Bluffs, Verdella worked at Red Lobster for a few years until she retired. Verdella and Marlin enjoyed their retirement by traveling again and purchased a fifth-wheel camper to travel across the United States. Her favorite place was Glacier National Park. They also visited her sister in Arkansas where they enjoyed going fishing with them. Verdella truly had a "green thumb" and loved gardening and growing flowers. Her kitchen was open to neighbors and friends who stopped in with coffee and food always at the ready. She could make a meal out of seemingly nothing, but her freezer was always full of food from the garden and the shelves were full of fruits and vegetables she canned every year. She made the best homemade bread and cinnamon rolls. Verdella was happiest when she was surrounded by her family.

Verdella is survived by her husband of 64 years, Marlin "Sonny" Sidebottom; her daughters, Patti (Todd) Templeton of Blair, Nebraska, and Melanie (Paul) Schulte of Shelby, lowa; her son, Mark Sidebottom of Persia, lowa; her in-laws, Gail and Lavonne Sidebottom; and Bruce Bossen; her five grandchildren, Carlisle Bell, Chelsey (Matt) Wilson, Elizabeth (Austin Treiber) Sidebottom, Collin Templeton and Devon Templeton; two great-grandchildren, Graham and Sloane Wilson; and a host of other family and friends.

Verdella was preceded in death by her parents, Peter and Clara Lefeber of Portsmouth, lowa; her brother, Harold (Cleo) Lefeber of Minden, lowa; and her sisters, Darlene Bossen of Elkhorn, Nebraska, and Kathleen (Dick) Miller of Anaheim, California.

Visitation will be held from 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM at Hoy Kilnoski Funeral Home on Sunday, December 3, 2023.

Funeral Service will be held at 11:00 AM at Hoy Kilnoski Funeral Home on Monday, December 4, 2023.

Interment is in the Shelby, Iowa, Cemetery.