Vera Vasilyevna Kovaleva

Vera Vasilyevna Kovaleva was born on January 7th, 1938 in the Kherson region, of Ukraine (former USSR) from parents Vasiliy and Natalia Kovalev. Vera was a third child and the first daughter in the family. As a child, Vera lived through some very tough times, including World War II and two years under the occupation of Nazi Germany. In 1943, after Kherson Region was liberated from the Nazi occupation, Vera's father was sent by the soviets to a labor camp for five years. Tough times continued after the war ended, and their father was away from the family. Vera began to attend school but only managed to finish 2nd grade. She left the school and began helping her mother around the house and property. After Vasiliy's return in 1947, the family grew with two more sons. Later, when Vera was only a teenager, she began to work at the kolhoz – spending long hours working in the fields getting paid with points for attendance. The Kovalev's family knew the Lord and beginning in the 1950s, the small underground church began to gather at their house. All her adult life Vera lived with her parents in the village of Sofievka. Vera was never married or had her own family. However, she helped her parents and siblings the best she could. In 1999, Vera immigrated to the United States. In Sioux Falls, she was met by her sister Luba and her family. For the next 25 years Vera lived surrounded by the Starovoytov family. She enjoyed working in the garden and loved to babysit Luba's grandchildren whenever she had the chance. Throughout her life, Vera stayed a devoted christian and attended the House of God church for as long as her health allowed. Today as we mourn over Vera's passing, we find our comfort in knowing that she is with the Lord now and one day we will meet again! A Service will be held 6 PM, Sunday, January 12, 2025 at House of God Church, with a graveside service at Woodlawn Cemetery, Monday, January 13, 2025, 11 AM. Please meet at the cemetery. 7 1938 2 1943 4 5 2 1999