Belva Fiala, 93
Published 7:01 am Sunday, October 25, 2015
Belva Fiala, 93, of Austin, Minnesota, died Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2015, at St. Marys Hospital in Rochester, Minnesota.
Dolores Belva Koplin was born March 25, 1922, at Blue Grass, Minnesota, the daughter of Julius and Blanche (Bounds) Koplin. Belva graduated from high school in Rochester, Minnesota. She married Harvey F. Fiala on Aug. 29, 1940, at the Little Brown Church at Nashua, Iowa.
Belva enlisted in the US Army, WAC on Aug. 16, 1943, at San Diego, California, and served until Dec. 5, 1945. Most of her service was spent at the Pentagon in Washington DC working in the decoding area.
Belva was a longtime member of the First United Methodist Church. She was a member of the Veterans Spam Post and she did a lot of sewing for the “Sew Much Comfort” project for wounded veterans. For several years, she worked at Drapery Services of Austin and was a member of the BPOE Does. Belva was an avid Bridge player and had earned the title of Life Master Bridge Player. She loved spending time with her family and friends.
She was preceded in death by her husband Harvey Fiala in 2013; her parents;and sisters: Velma Yetter and Bette Johnson.
Belva is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Kim and Ron Mace, Austin, Minnesota; son and daughter-in-law, Brett and Renee Fiala, Mondovi, Wisconsin; grandchildren: Melissa (Brett) Hussey, Danielle (Jesse) Bertrang, Derek Fiala, Megan (Brent) Wilde; great-grandchildren: Alexis and Britten Bertrang, Charliee Jean Wilde and Hazel Fiala Hussey; sister, Norma Fimon, Rochester, Minnesota; brother, Robert Koplin, Red Wing, Minnesota; sister, Nancy Robinson, Red Wing, Minnesota; nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be held at 12 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2015, at First United Methodist Church with the Rev. Dennis Tamke officiating. Interment will be at Oakwood Cemetery with Austin Post No. 91 American Legion in charge of military rites. Visitation will be at Clasen-Jordan Mortuary on Tuesday from 5 to 7 p.m. and at the church on Wednesday for one hour before the service. Memorials may be designated to the Wounded Warrior Project.