Genevieve Ellen Hay

Genevieve Ellen Hay, 85, of Bellevue, died Friday, March 18, 2011 at Dubuque Nursing & Rehab in Dubuque, after a short illness. A funeral service will be held at 4:00 p.m., Saturday, March 19 at Hachmann Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Bellevue. Pastor Marcia Wilfong will officiate. Burial will be in the First Presbyterian Cemetery. Visitation for Genevieve will be held from 3:00 4:00 p.m. prior to the funeral on Saturday at funeral home. Genevieve Ellen Palmer was born December 12, 1925 in Erie, North Dakota and spent her first years on the family farm. She graduated from Erie High School where half the class of 17 were her cousins. After graduation she moved to Fargo, North Dakota and worked at Western Union. On April 20, 1949 she married Charles (Chuck) Hay and they embarked on a life together that took them to Minneapolis, MN, Peoria, Ill, Des Moines and Bellevue, IA. In St. Louis Park, Minn, and in Peoria, Ill she worked as an elementary school secretary and in Des Moines she was a keypunch operator at Meredith Publishing Company. In 1978 she and Chuck bought the Big D Super Valu, a grocery store in Bellevue, Iowa which they owned and operated for 15 years. In 2005, after Chucks passing, Gen moved to the Woodlands Apartment in Dubuque. She so enjoyed her many friends at the Woodlands and the Lifetime Center, her two cats, Taffy and Little One, her bridge club friends and many others. She was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Bellevue and often attended St. Johns Methodist Church in Dubuque. She was a former driver for Meals on Wheels and a volunteer at Camp Courageous. Family was a top priority for Gen. After her mother passed away, she opened her home to her father, Burton, who lived with her family for 18 years. She leaves a legacy of a family who adored her and reaped the benefits of all of her wisdom and hard work. Her spunkiness, zest for life, generosity, and kindness will always be remembered by all who knew her. Those left to honor her memory include her two daughters, Ellen Hay, of Davenport, Iowa and Terry Maggio, of Madison, Wisconsin, their husbands Bill Warren and Paul Maggio and grandchildren, Meredith and Michael Warren and Kalli, Lauren and Leah Maggio. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; and brother, Devereaux Palmer. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.hachmannfuneralhome.com In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Gens honor to Hospice of Dubuque