Celia Leora (Kersbergen) Heiniger

Celia Leora (Kersbergen) Heiniger, 73, passed away on April 19, 2024, at Mercy One Medical Center in Des Moines, Iowa. A graveside burial will take place at Graceland Cemetery in Knoxville, Iowa at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, April 25, 2024. 

Celia was born in Oskaloosa, Iowa on April 3, 1951, to Bert and Lois (Pelong) Kersbergen. She was raised in Pershing and attended school in Attica as well as Knoxville. She received her GED while she was in Texas. Celia eventually went on to earn multiple degrees from DMACC. She worked as a dietary manager for different care facilities.

Celia liked to play on the computer and enjoyed cards with her family and friends. She loved sitting down with a cup of coffee and playing cards. She was a great cook. As she began to lose her eyesight, she would still help the family prepare meals. She could tell by the feeling of the food whether it was right or not. Celia was a stubborn woman, but she adored her family more than anything else. She was always the happiest when she was around them. They will all miss her dearly.

Celia is survived by her daughters, Devette (Ray) Mahon and Dezarae Van Vark; grandchildren: Sirenna, Virginia (Ginny), Izaiah, Alexzander, and Rozalee; great grandchildren, Braxston and Roscoe; and her siblings: Margaret Carlson, John (Linda) Kersbergen, and Bert (Cheryl) Kersbergen Jr.

She was preceded in death by her parents; grandparents; and her brother in-law, Richard.

Memorials may be directed to Celia’s family.