V eda Marie Waldrep was born Dec. 17, 1923 in Okeechobee, Florida to Lewis J. & Ada (Hulsey) Knight.  Veda graduated from Southern Junior College in 1942 as an LPN. She worked as charge nurse at Corona Hospital in CA, and also did private duty nursing before she met and married Lamar Waldrep on Dec. 29, 1951.

Veda continued to work as a nurse while she and Lamar built their bee business until they started transporting the bees from Florida in the winter to South Dakota for the summers. For many years Veda drove one of their two trucks back and forth hauling bees or supplies from FL to SD and back. She also worked side by side with Lamar in the bee yards and honey house until they retired to Florida.

Veda's real passion was flowers. Lamar and Veda kept a large yard full of flowers, flowering shrubs, and fruit trees. Her favorite   flowers were orchids. They had 2 greenhouses which had over 500 exotic orchids and belonged to the Central Florida Orchid Society.

Veda is survived by two daughters, Becky (Dean) Phillips, Lincoln, NE, and Marlene (Dan) Hargreaves, Stickney, SD. Two granddaughters Khristine (Eugene) Forehand, Groton, NY, and Alana (James) DeVries, Ashland, NE. Two grandsons, Aaron (Jenni) Hargreaves, Stickney, SD and Caleb (Amanda) Hargreaves, Sioux Falls, SD. Seven great grandchildren, Ruthanne, Leah, Jeremiah, Hannah and Timothy Forehand, Raelyn DeVries and Hallie Hargreaves. Also two nephews' Leslie (Nancy) Knight, GA and Raymond (Carol) Caslow, FL.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her loving husband, Lamar, daughter, Rita Martin, sister and brother-in-law Lois and Johnny Caslow sister Raye Knight, brother and sister-in-law Jack and Evelyn Knight, nephew Steve and wife Connie Knight.