Shirley M. Waldschmidt

KALONA ? Shirley Mae Waldschmidt, 85, of Riverside, died Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2017, in the University of Iowa Hospitals in Iowa City following a sudden illness.

A Mass of Christian burial will be held at 10:30 a.m., Friday, Feb. 3, at St. Mary?s Catholic Church in Riverside with the Rev. David Brownfield officiating. Burial will follow at the Mount Olivet Cemetery in Riverside. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m., Thursday at the church, where a prayer service will be held at 3 p.m. A memorial fund has been established for the Iowa Lions Eye Bank and the American Cancer Society.

Mrs. Waldschmidt was born Dec. 9, 1931, in Washington, the daughter of Henry and Alice (Kron) Wieland. She married Elmer Waldschmidt on Aug. 7, 1951, at St. Mary?s Catholic Church in Riverside. The couple celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary in August.

She graduated from St. Mary?s Catholic High School in Riverside. She worked as a cook at St. Mary?s and Highland schools, and later as a billing clerk at the University of Iowa. She was a lifelong member of St. Mary?s Catholic Church. She enjoyed baking cookies and kolaches, and crocheting and gardening.

Surviving are her husband, Elmer, of Riverside; five daughters, Diane Lowe and husband Al of Riverside, Nancy Sojka and husband Greg of Riverside, Cindy Becker and husband Don of North Liberty, Linda Frank and husband Scott of Riverside, and Jean Redlinger and husband Tony of Tiffin; 16 grandchildren; 25 great-grandchildren; and three sisters-in-law, Marjorie Gase and husband Joe of Cedar Rapids, Carolyn Shalla of Kalona, and Mary Waldschmidt of Lone Tree.

She was preceded in death by her parents; and two brothers-in-law, Cletus ?Boots? Waldschmidt, and Cliff Shalla.