Iva Mae (Burman) Roettjer was born Sept. 25, 1925, to John Charles and Edna Goldie (Jackson) Burman and passed away peacefully on Nov. 29, 2025, at the age of 100 at Ridgewood Nursing and Rehabilitation Care Center.
Iva Mae grew up on a farm in Iowa but decided to leave home at the age of 13, where she worked her way through high school. She chose this path so she could participate in band and sports. Iva Mae married her high school sweetheart, Lavern Roettjer on July 18, 1943, at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Waverly, Iowa. She lived on the farm for 17 years with Lavern, raising three children, Shirley, Duane, and Steven.
She and Lavern then moved to Seward, where Lavern became the bookstore manager for Concordia University. Once in Seward, she decided to pursue a career in nursing. In 1965, she received her LPN degree and was employed at Seward Memorial Hospital. In 1969, she was awarded National LPN of the Year. She then furthered her nursing career by attending the University of Nebraska to attain her RN degree in 1976. Not one to stop furthering her education, at the age of 61 she attained her Bachelor of Arts degree from Concordia University in 1986.
Iva Mae was a leader in starting the St. John Stephen Ministry, and a founding member of the Red Hat Society and a hospice volunteer.
Iva Mae is survived by her children, Duane Roettjer, and Steven (Susan) Roettjer; grandchildren, James Meyer, Annette (Meyer) Matijczyk, Jared (Mary) Roettjer, Kurt (Tamyra) Roettjer, Travis (Kendra) Roettjer, and Brandon Roettjer; great-grandchildren, Ben (Jillian) Roettjer, Kortney Roettjer, Anna (Justin) Hofer, Lincoln Roettjer and Emmett Roettger; and great-great-granddaughter, Natalie Hofer.
She was preceded in death by her parents, John Charles and Edna Goldie (Jackson) Burman; her husband, Lavern Roettjer; brothers, Merwin Burman, George Burman, and John Burman; sisters, Dorthy (Burman) Repp, Ethal (Burman) Landneth; daughter, Shirley (Roettjer) Meyer; son-in-law, David Meyer; daughter-in-law, Regina Roettjer and great-grandson Kody Roettjer.
Family will receive friends Wednesday, Dec. 3, from 3 – 6 p.m. at Zabka-Perdue Funeral Home. The funeral service will be Thursday, Dec. 4, at 10 a.m. at St. John Lutheran Church in Seward with interment at the Seward Cemetery.
Arrangements by Zabka-Perdue Funeral Home.
