Services
Obituary
Vince V. Willms, 65, of Belmond, passed away on Thursday, May 22, 2025, at Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines.
Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, at 1:00 PM at the Belmond United Methodist Church, 1031 1st Street South East in Belmond, with Pastor Leila Blackburn officiating. Burial will follow in the Belmond Cemetery.
Visitation will be held on Monday, May 26, 2025, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at the Belmond United Methodist Church and will continue one hour prior to the service on Tuesday.
Vince Vernon, son of Vernon and Velma (Lord) Willms, was born on March 4, 1960, at the Ellsworth Municipal Hospital in Iowa Falls. He was raised in Ackley and graduated from Ackley-Geneva High School in 1978. He went on to attend Hawkeye Tech, where he studied auto-body repair. Vince worked at Carr Chevrolet in Hampton before joining Eatons, where he spent more than 35 and 1/2 years. He retired in 2018.
On June 24, 1995, Vince was united in marriage to Cathy Schmitt at The Little Brown Church in Nashua. Together they made their home in Belmond, where they raised their blended family and built a life filled with love, support, and laughter.
Vince was a steadfast presence in the lives of his children and grandchildren. Known for his strong handshake, steady demeanor, and quiet strength, Vince led by example and was always the first to say “yes” to playing catch, going fishing, attending events or showing up to support the people he loved. Whether it was a state championship game or a preschooler drawing shapes in the dirt during tee-ball, Vince’s favorite view was always that of his children and grandchildren at play. If there was an event on the calendar and Vince was free, everyone knew where he’d be — in the stands, cheering with pride.
Vince was a man of unmatched consistency. If he said he’d be there, he was. No excuses. He became known as the one who would show up when others wouldn’t — the steady hand who lifted others when they needed it most. His quiet strength, reliability, and unwavering presence made him the kind of person others leaned on. In both word and deed, Vince lived out the values of endurance, loyalty, and devotion to his family. His life echoed the words of Scripture: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7) — a fitting tribute to a man who remained true through every season of life.
Vince is survived by his wife, Cathy; son Zach (Sandy) Willms and their children Ashlynn and Ashtin; son Kyle (Bradi) Wilkinson and their children Alexis, Archer, and Reece; daughter Kali (Steve) Scheidecker and their children Grant, Austin, Weston, and Lincoln; son Jordan (Lia) Willms and their children Azalia, Zinaria, and Liliaunna; son Chase (Sarah) Wilkinson and their children Daxton, Declan, and Silas; siblings Vicki (Arlen) Harken, Vaughn (Elaine) Willms, and Van (Deb) Willms; sister-in-law Cindy Taylor; and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his granddaughter Willow Willms; his parents, Vernon and Velma Willms; brother, Verlynn Willms and parents-in-law Robert and Myrna Schmitt.