Vickie Joeleen Westergaard

Vickie Joeleen Westergaard, 73, of Sloan, Iowa passed away Tuesday, July 29, 2025 at MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center, Sioux City, Iowa.

Vickie Joeleen was born on March 27, 1952, in Onawa, Iowa, to Robert and Lois (Sorenson) Morris, Jr. She was raised on a farm located three miles north of Holly Springs. Vickie attended elementary school at Hornick and Holly Springs through the third grade and then Westwood Community Schools through high school. She was elected Homecoming Queen in 1969. Vickie graduated from Westwood High School in 1970. She was an outstanding athlete competing in cross country, girls 6 on 6 basketball, and track. She was on several record setting relay teams. The Westwood girls track team was the Maple Valley Conference girls track team champion all fours’ years of her high school career. Vickie was also a member of the “Fearsome Foursome” Westwood girls’ basketball 6 on 6 guard court that held opposing teams to one of the lowest point totals per game in the State of Iowa her senior year. Vickie specialized in stealing the ball from the opposing teams’ offensive players. In one game, one of the players on the opposing team got so frustrated with Vickie stealing the ball from her that the opposing player threw the ball at her. Following high school, she pursued her passion for cosmetology and graduated from Tylers School of Cosmetology. Vickie worked at Headhunters Beauty Salon in Sloan, Iowa.

On June 28, 1974 Vickie married the love of her life, Lee Westergaard at the Skien Lutheran Church, Albaton, Iowa. They just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this year. After having a couple of miscarriages, they adopted Kelly Jo in 1980. Two years later, Vickie was in a car accident that jolted her pretty hard. Six months later, Vickie was pregnant and went on to have three children, Kari, David, and Douglas. She was a great mom, who always put her family first. Vickie was also very supportive of Lee’s idea to quit his accounting job with Berkley and Company of Spirit Lake, Iowa and came back to the farm. She was a great farm wife who understood the ups and down of farming and the time commitment it took to be successful. Vickie was always interested in what was going on, on the farm each day, drove a tractor a little and always had a good supper for Lee when he got home. Once they got cell phones, she and Lee talked on the phone almost every day. Sometimes just to hear each other’s voices and see how their day was going. She also let Lee know how her day had gone by with what she said to her children as he came in the door. If Lee heard “All right”, you better straighten up, your dad’s home”, he knew she was having a bad day with the kids and needed his help.

She was reluctant to join in the neighborhood get togethers if there was going to be a big crowd because she had a bad ear drum in one ear and had trouble hearing in a noisy environment. Vickie had three skin grafts on one ear drum over the years. None of them worked very well. Lee found that, on occasion, he said something that didn’t come out right or she may not like, Vickie not hearing too well was a blessing.

When Kari wrecked Lee’s pickup at the start of harvest one year, Lee had to borrow a pickup for a while. He decided he needed to buy another pickup. He gave Vickie the checkbook and told her to go get him a pickup. She came back with a new Dodge pickup. You have never seen a more excited woman because she got to pick out the truck and write the check!  

When Vickie was in her 40’s, they discovered that her family had Myotonic Muscular Dystrophy, and she spent the rest of her life struggling with the effects of the disease. She was devastated that she had passed it on to two of her children. Vickie loved a good hot beef, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and anything from Red Lobster. A meal at Red Lobster was part of almost every anniversary celebration. As her health declined, she couldn’t go to Red Lobster anymore, so Lee went and got it and brought it home to her.

Vickie was a member of the Skien Lutheran Church in Albaton, Iowa.

Survivors include her husband, Lee Westergaard of Sloan, Iowa; mother, Lois (Sorenson) Morris of Holly Springs, Iowa; her children, Kari Stewart of Sloan, Iowa, David (Nicole) Westergaard of Marion, Iowa, and Douglas Westergaard of Sloan, Iowa; grandchildren, Karissa Stewart, Destiney Stewart, Sadie Stewart, Daitin Westergaard, and Palmer Westergaard; great-grandson, Cohen Mahler; one sister, Janet (Gary) Ronfeldt of Schaller, Iowa; and several nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives, and friends.

She is preceded in death by her father, Robert Morris, Jr.; parents-in-law, August “Augie” and Carolyn (Reese) Westergaard; daughter, Kelly Westergaard; two brothers, Rick Morris and Robin Morris; and one sister, Marsha (Dan) Ronfeldt.

A funeral service was held at 11:00 A.M. Monday, August 4, 2025 at the Skien Lutheran Church, Albaton, Iowa with Pastor Craig Bock, officiating. A recording of the service was available later on the Goslar Funeral Home website with Vickie’s obituary. The burial was held in the Fairview Township Cemetery, Albaton, Iowa. A visitation was one hour prior to the service at the church. Arrangements were under the direction of Goslar Funeral Home and Monuments, Onawa, Iowa.

Condolences may be left online for the family at www.goslarfuneralhome.com

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