Vera O. Holthaus, 86, of Seneca, Kansas, died March 21, 2003, at Crestview Manor care home in Seneca. She had been a resident there since September of 2002.

She was born May 30, 1916, the daughter of John and Mildred Countryman Johnson, on a farm north of Baileyville. When she was young, she moved with her family to a farm northeast of Centralia. She grew up there, attended Centralia schools, and graduated from high school in 1934. Following high school, she moved to Seneca and was employed by Springer Variety Store as a clerk until 1942.

On May 18, 1942, she married Henry A. “Hienie” Holthaus at Sts. Peter & Paul Church in Seneca. They moved to Wadesboro, North Carolina where Henry was stationed with the U.S. Army. Vera lived there for five weeks before Henry was shipped overseas. She returned to Seneca as a bookkeeper for the Farmers Elevator. She worked there till December of 1945, when Henry returned home from the service.

Besides being a homemaker, Vera worked as a cook at the Prairie Lounge for five years starting in 1964. In 1969 she began work as a cook at the Seneca Public High School and later became a cook at Nemaha Valley High School until 1980, when she and her husband moved to Topeka. In Topeka she was employed in the deli at Harry’s IGA for two years until 1982 when she and Hienie returned to Seneca. They celebrated their golden wedding anniversary and had been married almost 55 years when Hienie died on January 25, 1997.

She was a member of Sts. Peter & Paul Church and St Ann’s Altar Society at the church, and the Seneca Memorial Post #7458 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary, all in Seneca.

Survivors are four sons, Michael of Topeka, and Randy, Kurt, and Timothy Holthaus, all of Seneca; a daughter Cheryl Osterhaus of Littleton, Colorado; 14 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Besides her husband, she was preceded in death by two infant sons, Henry on December 27, 1945, and Joseph on September 16, 1946; and a brother, Glen Johnson.

Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 AM Tuesday at Sts. Peter & Paul Church in Seneca. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Rosaries will be prayed at 7 PM Sunday and 7 PM Monday at Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca.

Memorials may be given for Sts. Peter & School or the Crestview Manor Activity Fund, and sent in care of the family.