Pauline Skarda

PAULINE SKARDA

Washington, IA

Pauline L. Skarda, formerly of Ames, Iowa passed away on December 27, 2018 in Washington, Iowa. A gathering of friends and family will be 4-6:00 p.m. Wednesday, Jan 2, at Grandon Funeral and Cremation Care, 414 Lincoln Way, Ames, with a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Jan 3, at St. Cecilia's Church, 2900 Hoover Ave., Ames, Iowa. Burial will follow at Ames Municipal Cemetery.

Pauline (Urich) Skarda was born on November 11, 1926, to Louis G. and Mary (Ptacek) Urich in Duncan, Iowa, a small village in northern Iowa. She attended Garner Community School and Ottumwa Heights College, Ottumwa, Iowa where where she received a degree in Business Education in 1944.

In 1948 she married Dwight E. Kuhlman, and she and her family eventually settled on a farm near Duncan. Dwight passed away in 1956. Pauline later married Paul J. Skarda, a widower and the father of James and Shirley Skarda in 1965. Pauline and Paul Skarda built a home in Ames, Iowa and were both active members of St. Cecilia Church for over forty years. Pauline Skarda was active in Rosary Club and St. Anne's at her church; Pauline was a faithful member of Catholic Daughters of America.

Pauline's professional career included 10 years as a legal secretary in Garner, Iowa and 23 years as an administrative assistant to the first president of Des Moines Area Community College in Ankeny, Iowa. As someone who knew "shorthanded," Pauline became a valued and active DMACC Pioneer, the founders of the community college in Ankeny. She was a strong advocate of economic development in Iowa, and she envisioned the CC system at its inception. Pauline helped found the Secretarial-Clerical and Business Association at DMACC.

Pauline went out-of-her-way to befriend everyone. . . she especially loved working with the DMACC students. She was an avid Hawkeyes fan and she tailgated with her friends and family at football games. Pauline enjoyed visiting with her neighbors as they walked by her front-yard flower garden. Her hobbies included crocheting beautiful afghans for family, friends and her church, fishing/ boating trips to MN, and watching college football and basketball on TV. She was keenly interested in young people, often knowing them better than they knew themselves as they matured.

Pauline is survived by one son, Paul (Kathryn) Kuhlman, of Washington, IA; one step-daughter, Shirley (Michael) Esch of Burnsville, MN; one step daughter-in-law, Jennifer Skards, widow of Dr. James Skarda of Iowa City, IA; a sister, Mildred (Jerry) Longbons of Carbon Cliff, IL; a brother, Louis (Maxine) Urich of Cottage Grove, MN; numerous nieces and nephews; 3 grandchildren and 4 great- grandchildren.

Pauline is preceded in death by her parents, Louis and Mary Urich; and infant son, Dean Allen Kuhlman, sister Maxine (Urich) Erdahl. Husband Dwight Edwin Kuhlman, husband Dr.Paul J. Skarda, EdD; step-son Dr. James L. Skarda, brother-in-law, Jerry Longbons, and a granddaughter, Anna (McCormick) Rich of Riverside, IA.

The family request that in lieu of flowers memorials may be made to hospice of Washington County.

Online condolences may be directed to: www.grandonfuneralandcremationcare.com