Vicki Winifred Schweitzberger

Vicki Winifred (Van Buskirk) Schweitzberger, was born August 5, 1951, to Max and Thelma Van Buskirk of rural Pierson, Iowa. She was welcomed home by her three sisters: Judy, Joannie, and Jeanne.

Vicki began school in Pierson before attending high school in Kingsley, Iowa, where she was a cheerleader and homecoming queen and where she met her future husband, Ron Schweitzberger. She graduated in 1969.

Throughout her young life, family was always Vicki’s number one priority – if she considered you a friend, you instantly became a lifelong member of her “family.” And over the years, that family grew by the hundreds.

Following graduation, Vicki left Kingsley to work at an optical clinic in Sioux City, but soon she knew it was time for her to begin a true family of her own.

Vicki and Ron were united in marriage on December 16, 1972, and together they established their home in Kingsley, where they continued to enjoy their wide family of friends and relatives. Vicki worked in a hardware store and a furniture store and kept books for Ron’s auto parts store.

Vicki’s young family doubled in size with the births of Ryan in 1975 and Rick in 1977, two events that shaped her life forever. Little did she know at the time what adventure was in store for her.

As the boys grew older, Vicki’s house became a second home to Ryan’s and Rick’s friends. She welcomed everyone to a comfortable place filled with love and laughter and a meal on the table. Vicki became “Mom” to those young people, and her “family” grew larger.

In high school, both Ryan and Rick excelled in wrestling, and Vicki’s “family” grew to include their wrestling teammates and their legion of dedicated fans who traveled to every meet.

Vicki’s wrestling family grew even larger when both Ryan and Rick joined the team at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa. She became a second Mom to these young men just as she had for the kids back in Kingsley.

Vicki’s “family” included more than just young people, though. She and Ron enjoyed motorcycle trips and camping excursions with their friends, and with each stop along the way, they made new friends as well.

After they graduated from college, Ryan and Rick both settled down in the Des Moines area and began families of their own. Of course, Vicki was so happy for them, but she could not stand the thought of missing out on the chance to play “Nana” with her grandchildren.

In 2020, Vicki and Ron left behind their long-time home in Kingsley to move to Van Meter, Iowa, and ended up buying a house about three blocks from Rick’s family.

Although it was a different house, Vicki soon filled it with the same love as she had back home. She could babysit the young ones and fix an after-school snack for the older ones. She loved doing crafts with the grandkids and working on their scrapbooks. Photos of the grandkids covered the refrigerator. She could again attend dozens of softball, basketball and soccer games, wrestling matches, and school programs, just as she had for so many years.

And as you might imagine, before long Vicki became friends with a whole new set of parents at these Van Meter events, and her “family” grew even larger still.

Sadly, this huge family lost its “Mom” and “Nana” on November 22, 2025, when Vicki passed away unexpectedly.

Those left to mourn her passing are husband Ron; son Ryan (Angie) and daughter Ava; son Rick (Annie) and children Emrey, Teag, and Anistyn; sisters: Judy (Bob) Brownlee, Joanie (Russ) Koenigsfeld, and Jeanne (Mike) Simmons; and hundreds of her extended family acquired over a lifetime of love and friendship.

Preceding Vicki in death were her parents, Max and Thelma Van Buskirk, and her parents-in-law, Harold and Betsy Schweitzberger.

The family will meet friends beginning at 1 p.m. on Saturday, December 6, at the Moville, Iowa, Community Center. A short memorial service will be held at 2:30 p.m., after which the family will continue to meet friends.

Memorials to be determined at a future date.