Fern Ruth Heins

Fern Ruth Heins, 88, passed away Wednesday, September 14, 2016 at the Health Care Resort of Topeka.

She was born April 4, 1928 at Upsala, Minnesota the daughter of Author and Alice Anderson Lillestrand. Fern spent her childhood in Upsala and graduated from Upsala High School with the Class of 1946.

She was joined in marriage to Walter “Pat” Clear on January 5, 1947 in Spokane, Washington. The young couple began their life together in Spokane. After the birth of their daughter Brenda they moved to Minnesota and welcomed their son Steven. The family moved to Kansas in the late 1950’s living in El Dorado and Kansas City before settling in Iola. Walter preceded Fern in death on September 14, 1973.


In 1977 Fern moved to Omaha Nebraska where she married Frank Socha. They moved to Council Bluffs, Iowa where Fern worked at the State Unemployment Office for several years. Frank preceded her in death in 1987. She later moved back to Neosho Rapids, Kansas to be near her family. Fern began attending the Memorial United Methodist Church in Neosho Rapids.

Fern married Jim Heins on February 19, 2000. He would precede her in death on December 12, 2000.


She will live on in the hearts of her daughter, Brenda Martin and husband Mark of Neosho Rapids; six grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by a son, Steven Clear; sisters, Ethel Nelson and Florence Shodeen; brother, Bud Lillestrand.