Verna Lucille Meier was born January 27, 1918 to Henry and Sophia (Mueller) Meier in Watonwan County, Minnesota. She attended rural school District #126 in Galena Township and later was a graduate of St. James High School. She then was employed at the Extension Office in St. James. On April 23, 1938, she was united in marriage to Harley Hoelmer at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Galena Township, rural Ormsby, Minnesota. After their marriage they farmed in Cedar Township for sixty-six years. In November of 2003 they moved into Amberfield Apartments in Trimont. Verna was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church, was a Sunday School Teacher, member of it's Altar Guild and Ladies Aid. She greatly enjoyed her family, making quilts and rugs, sewing, being outdoors in her flowers and her garden and her cats.

Verna died on Monday evening, February 2, 2004 at Fairmont Medical Center-Mayo Health Systems in Fairmont, Minnesota at the age of eighty-six years.

Verna's memories will be cherished and shared with others by her husband, Harley Hoelmer of Trimont, Minnesota; her children Kenneth Hoelmer and his wife, Dolly, of Valley City, North Dakota, Lois Hilgendorf and her husband, Bruce, of Prescott, Arizona, Richard Hoelmer and his wife, Joyce of Mankato, Minnesota, David Hoelmer and his wife, Karla, of Mankato, Minnesota, Barbara Krause of Richardson, Texas, Kathleen Weiss and her husband, David, of Trimont, Minnesota; fourteen grandchildren; eight great grandchildren; brother, Lorenz Meier and his wife, Ezurina, of St. James, Minnesota; brother-in-law, Lowell Hoelmer and his wife, LaVon, of Clayton, California; two sister-in-laws, Jeanette Meier of Clearwater, Florida and Leona Kuehl of rural Ormsby, Minnesota; several nieces and nephews and other relatives and friends.

In addition to her parents, Verna was preceded in death by two brothers, Victor and Edgar Meier; brother-in-law, Harold Hoelmer and other relatives.