Velva R. Kaffenberger

Velva R. Kaffenberger, age 91, passed away Sunday, September 20, 2026, at Deaconess Gateway. She was born in Broughton, Ill., and was the third of eight children born to Estus R. (Buster) and Lura M. (Faries) Gholson. She graduated from Mt. Vernon, Ind., high school in 1952 and married her high school sweetheart, Robert H. Kaffenberger, and together they built a beautiful life over 64 years of marriage. She was preceded in death by Bob, but their bond remained the heart of her story.

Velva retired from the University of Southern Indiana in 1996 after 20 years of employment. She thoroughly enjoyed working with the many students at USI and the friendships she formed. After retirement she served on the Voluntary Advisory Committee for a number of years. In earlier years she had been employed at Union Federal and Mid-West Federal Savings & Loan.

Velva was a member of Corpus Christi Catholic Church since 1961 where in past years she was a member and office holder in the Women’s Club and volunteered for many activities and as a school secretary.

Velva enjoyed getting together with her sisters, music and dancing and traveling with Bob. She also enjoyed college basketball, especially the USI Women’s & Men’s teams. As a retirement gift co-workers and colleagues set up a scholarship in her name for women basketball players. She kept the scholarship going for 15 years and then renamed the scholarship to the Robert & Velva Kaffenberger Accounting Scholarship. She enjoyed her family most of all, especially the activities of her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, fixing them their favorite meals and baking them cookies.

Velva was preceded in death by her parents, stepmother Ruth Finnegan Gholson, beloved husband Bob; sisters, Barbara Fritz and Marilyn Joyce Robinson; brothers, Samuel Gholson & Thomas Gholson, nephew Matthew Pritchett, great-nephew Matthew Guennewig.

She is survived by daughter Karen Schenk (Brian) of Evansville and their children Dr. Meghann Schenk (Dr. Jeff Hotaling) and their children Sylvia and Malcolm of Birmingham, MI, Mallory Eickhoff (Mitchell) and their children Scott and Claire of Columbus, Ind., Matthew (Sumayya) of Baltimore, Md.; Son Kent Kaffenberger (Madonna) of Evansville and his children Nicklaus Kaffenberger (Tashina) of Evansville, and Tashina’s children Brooklyn and Tyler Schoonover and grandson Bennet Dych, Lucas Kaffenberger (Brittany) and their daughter Chandler of Evansville, Abbigail Moog (Ryan) of Kansas. Madonna’s daughters, Andrea Chambers (J.W.) and their children Madison and Nolan Chambers and Sydney Kissinger of Evansville. She is also survived by sisters Delores Elder of Grayville, Ill., and Vicki Gholson of Evansville and her brother Bill Gholson of Harrisburg, Ill. She is also survived by many special nieces and nephews, sister-in-law Emagene Kaffenberger of Wildwood, Fla., and sister-in-law Phyllis Jackson (Darryl) of Vincennes, Ind.

The family would like to thank the staff of Solarbron Independent Living and the Deaconess Gateway Critical Care Unit for their kind and compassionate care of Velva.

Funeral services for Velva were held at 10 a.m., on Saturday, September 26, 2026, at Pierre Funeral Home. Burial will follow in St. Joseph Cemetery. Friends visited with the family from 3 until 7 p.m., on Friday at Pierre Funeral Home, 2601 West Franklin Street.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Robert and Velva Kaffenberger Accounting Scholarship payable to USI Foundation, 8600 University Blvd., Evansville, IN 47712, or Corpus Christi Catholic Church, 5528 Hogue Rd., Evansville, IN 47712. Envelopes will be provided at the funeral home.