Teresa "Terry" Tollefson Vermeer
October 19, 1937 — March 3, 2020
Teresa “Terry” Tollefson Vermeer, 82, of Marion, Iowa, died March 3, 2020 following a battle with lung cancer. To honor Terry’s wishes, we will celebrate Terry’s life with a private memorial service for close family and friends at a later date. The family requests that instead of sending flowers, give flowers to a person in your life who needs to be reminded how much they mean to you.
Terry was born in Des Moines, Iowa, on October 19, 1937, and adopted by Martin and Helen Tollefson. She attended Roosevelt High School and later spent time at Kansas University and Drake University. On November 4, 1967, Terry married Vernon “Mike” Vermeer of Sioux Center, Iowa. The two settled down in Ames and adopted and raised two spirited girls. Terry worked as a receptionist for Holder and Associates for over 20 years, then finished her career with Consumer Credit Counseling Service retiring in 2011. In her spare time Terry ran a fabric store out of the family’s basement for many years, looked forward to hosting bi-annual garage sales and could always be found crafting, painting ceramics or sewing. Before Vern passed away in 2012, Terry was also his primary caregiver. Terry moved to West Des Moines, Iowa, in 2014 to be closer to her daughter Jenny, then in 2019, she decided to check out Laura’s views in Eastern Iowa and moved to Marion.
Terry is survived by two daughters, Jennifer Millard (Terry) of Norwalk, Iowa and Laura Barr of Marion, Iowa; a son-in-law, Michael Barr of Marion; five grandchildren, Kevin (Kylea) Millard, Brian Millard, Noah Millard, Hailee Barr and Kelsey Barr; one great-grandson, Kanon Millard; her sister, Toni Sutton of Nashville, Tennessee; sisters and brother-in-law, Carolyn Rohlf of Rosemount, Minnesota, Ethan Vermeer (Annabeth) of Orange City, Iowa and Glenda Seely of Loveland, Colorado.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Vernon Vermeer; parents, Martin and Helen Tollefson; brother-in-law, Dick Vermeer; sister-in-law, Lois Vermeer; and a nephew, Martin Sutton.
Terry was born in Des Moines, Iowa, on October 19, 1937, and adopted by Martin and Helen Tollefson. She attended Roosevelt High School and later spent time at Kansas University and Drake University. On November 4, 1967, Terry married Vernon “Mike” Vermeer of Sioux Center, Iowa. The two settled down in Ames and adopted and raised two spirited girls. Terry worked as a receptionist for Holder and Associates for over 20 years, then finished her career with Consumer Credit Counseling Service retiring in 2011. In her spare time Terry ran a fabric store out of the family’s basement for many years, looked forward to hosting bi-annual garage sales and could always be found crafting, painting ceramics or sewing. Before Vern passed away in 2012, Terry was also his primary caregiver. Terry moved to West Des Moines, Iowa, in 2014 to be closer to her daughter Jenny, then in 2019, she decided to check out Laura’s views in Eastern Iowa and moved to Marion.
Terry is survived by two daughters, Jennifer Millard (Terry) of Norwalk, Iowa and Laura Barr of Marion, Iowa; a son-in-law, Michael Barr of Marion; five grandchildren, Kevin (Kylea) Millard, Brian Millard, Noah Millard, Hailee Barr and Kelsey Barr; one great-grandson, Kanon Millard; her sister, Toni Sutton of Nashville, Tennessee; sisters and brother-in-law, Carolyn Rohlf of Rosemount, Minnesota, Ethan Vermeer (Annabeth) of Orange City, Iowa and Glenda Seely of Loveland, Colorado.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Vernon Vermeer; parents, Martin and Helen Tollefson; brother-in-law, Dick Vermeer; sister-in-law, Lois Vermeer; and a nephew, Martin Sutton.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Teresa "Terry" Tollefson Vermeer, please visit our flower store.