Bessie Klimiades

Vasiliki (Bessie) Klimiades, 98 of Whiting, IA and formerly of Sioux City, IA, passed away peacefully in her sleep on Wednesday, November 9, 2022 at her daughter’s home in St. Petersburg, FL.

Funeral services will be at 10:00 A.M. Tuesday, November 22, 2022 at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Sioux City. Rev. Luke Melackrinos will officiate. Burial will be at Graceland Park Cemetery. Visitation with the family present will be from 6:00 P.M. until 7:00 P.M. Monday, November 21 at Meyer Brothers Morningside Chapel. A Trisagion Service will follow at 7 P.M. Online condolences may be sent to www.meyerbroschapels.com.

Bessie was born March 19, 1924 in Sioux City; she was the daughter of Thomas and Andromachi (Kocalles) Kechelos. When Bessie was two years old, her father passed away. After his passing, Bessie, her mother and her brother moved to Greece. Shortly thereafter, her mother passed away and Bessie and her brother grew up in an orphanage.

In 1941, Bessie married Constantine “Gus/Kosta” Klimiades in Greece. Bessie returned to the United States in 1946 arriving in Minneapolis, MN. She later moved to the South Bottoms neighborhood of Sioux City where she was a homemaker and raised her five children. Gus passed away in August of 1991.

Bessie was a longtime member of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Sioux City, Iowa. She and Gus enjoyed fishing, traveling and spending the winter months in Florida.

Survivors include her children: Christine Katsanevakis and her husband Tony of Chicago, IL; George Klimiades and his wife Janice of Whiting, IA; Andrea Cummins and her husband Bryan of Madeira Beach, FL; Mario Klimiades of Phoenix, AZ; Alexandra Gonzales and her husband Henry of St. Petersburg, FL; 2 grandchildren, Athena Katsanevakis and Constantine Klimiades; and 2 great grandchildren, Alexandra Klimiades and Nicholas Klimiades.

Bessie was preceded in death by her husband, Gus, a daughter, Athena, her parents, Thomas and Andromachi (Kocalles) Kechelos, her brother, Theodore, and her sister, Panagiota.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, St. Thomas Orthodox Church, or to the family of Bessie Klimiades.