may not have been perfect parents, but their love for their children, was. Her strength and values will be carried on in the legacy she leaves behind. Vendola retired from the Catalog Department of the Rod Library, University of Nothern Iowa, in 1986, after 25 years of service. It was the perfect job for her. She was charged, in those early days of computers, with moving the library's catalog conversion to a computerized system. After retirement, and the death of her beloved husband Joe, Vendola moved from Cedar Falls to Ames, to be near her children. She was preceded in death by her parents, three brothers, Lorenz, Melvin and Wilber, one granddaughter, and her husband, Joe. She is survived by three children, Susan Petra and Ross Petra, both of Ames, and Joseph Petra residing in Ft. Myers Beach, Florida. Also three granddaughters, Romy, Jennifer and Tiffany. Continuing her support of education, Vendola donated her body for the advancement of medical research and study, to the University of Iowa College of Medicine. Our family is extremely grateful for the exceptional care and affection given to our mother, by the extraordinary care-givers at Eastern Star, Boone, and Kindred Hospice. To read the full obituary, please click here: http://www.adamssoderstrum.com/obituaries/Vendola-Petra?obId=3257884#/obituaryInfo