Obituary for Irma Sokolowski
Irma Sokolowski Mapleton, Iowa - Irma Sokolowski, 85 of Mapleton and formerly of Danbury, Iowa passed away Sunday, December 8, 2013 at Maple Heights Nursing Home in Mapleton. The Funeral Mass will be Thursday, December 12, 2013 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Danbury, Iowa with Rev. Dan Greving officiating. Burial will be in the Danbury Catholic Cemetery. Visitation times are pending. The Vigil Wake will be Wednesday December 11 at 7:00 p.m. at the church. Armstrong Funeral Home of Danbury and Mapleton is in charge of the arrangements. Irma Mae (Weber) Sokolowski , 85, of Mapleton, Iowa, died December 8, 2013 at Maple Heights Nursing Home at the age of 85 years, 6 months and 14 days. Visitation will begin at 5 p.m. Wednesday, December 11th and the funeral mass on Thursday, December 12 at 11:00 a.m., both at St Mary's Catholic Church in Danbury, Iowa. Irma Mae Weber was born on May 24, 1928 to John and Anna (Klein) Weber of Danbury, Iowa. Irma, the fifth of twelve children, attended St Mary's Catholic School, was crowned May queen in May of 1945 and graduated from St. Patrick's Academy in 1945. Following graduation, she attended Westmar College in LeMars and held teaching positions in country schools for three years. She married James (Jim) Francis Sokolowski on September 21, 1948. In their wedding write-up, Irma was described as a "charming young lady being highly respected by everyone for her pleasing personality and ladylike ways". Irma and Jim lived on the J.K. Granter farm west of Danbury before moving to their own farm, also west of Danbury, in December of 1953. There they raised their four children, Kathryn Ann, Kenton James, Joyce Marie and Julie Lynne. Irma was always very busy and organized on the farm, raising chickens, large gardens, canning a variety of fruits, jams and vegetables, baking, cooking, sewing, spending long nights expertly nursing her kids when they were sick to start all over the next day with the same amount of work. When James broke his back in a tractor accident in 1968, she remained the steady strong hand to guide the family. Over many years, when workers would come to help with field work or general chores, Irma cooked numerous meals for them and was well known for her great cooking. She would keep lists of each person of what they liked or didn't like to make sure they had their favorites the next time. She was often found outside helping Jim, even driving tractors to help during the harvest. Many a cold winter night would find her tending to a litter of baby pigs or a newborn calf in the basement to keep them warm. Irma was a past member of the DCCW and was officer of the St Mary's Rosary Society numerous times. She was also a member of the St. Mary's choir for many years as she loved to sing. All of her children took piano lessons, which was always a dream of hers to learn. She loved Glenn Miller, Lawrence Welk and Daniel O'Donnell. Irma always enjoyed going to dances all of her life and convinced Jimmy to take dancing lessons. Weekends would find them cutting a rug on Saturday nights. She did beautiful embroidery and made special memory quilts for her children, having learned from the best, her own Mother. The family took vacations to nearly every state west of the Missouri, the Ozarks and Canada. Their children's marriages and grandchildren filled their home throughout the years. In December 2006, Irma and Jim sold their acreage and moved to Mapleton for a well-deserved retirement. James went to eternal peace in Heaven on December 13, 2008. Irma's priorities were Jesus and her family. She was strong in her faith and values, soft in her wisdom and grace. She instilled in her children and grandchildren a love and commitment to family, and an ethic of hard work. If there were only one word to learn and to know, To follow us when and wherever we go, To say when we're lonely, to say when we're down, To give us a smile in place of a frown, To make us believe when we're starting to doubt, To light a candle of hope and not let it burn out, To let us know that we're loved with complete certainty... Why that word would be Mom - what else could it be? --For Irma Mae Weber Sokolowski, 1928 - 2013 mom, grandma, wife, friend, and beautiful soul by Douglas Wo Irma is survived by her four children, Kathy (Douglas) Wood of Sartell, MN; Kent (Rosana) Sokolowski of Wenatchee, WA; Joyce Kafton of Mapleton, IA; Julie (Brian) Holly of Luling, Texas; grandchildren Eric (Ryan) Wood of Wilton Manors, FL; Bryan (Kat) Wood of Sandstone, MN; Lisa (Randy) Talley of Wenatchee, WA; Michael (Cassie) Sokolowski of Lemoore, CA; Sheena Sokolowski of Seattle, WA; Tammy Kafton of Sioux City, IA; Justin Kafton and Toni Kafton of Mapleton, IA, Christopher Holly of Houston, TX and Jay Holly of Lawrenceville, GA; and seven great grandchildren Brianna and Addison Talley; Sophia, Alaina and Noelle Sokolowski; and Maya and Henry Wood. She is also survived by her brothers Leo (Helen) Weber, Vernal (Evonne) Weber; sisters Alice Weber and Carole Barkley, brother-in-law Ron Seuntjens and Tom Thiel and sister-in-law Ellen Weber. She was preceded in death by her husband James; her parents John and Anna; her brothers Donald "Bud", James, Raymond; her sisters Mary Ann, Lois, Martha and Helen.
Service:
Thursday, December 12, 2013 11:00 a.m.
St. Mary's Catholic Church Danbury, Iowa
Visitation:
Wednesday, December 11, 2013 After 5:00 p.m.
St. Mary's Catholic Church Danbury, Iowa
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Service:
Thursday, December 12, 2013 11:00 a.m.
St. Mary's Catholic Church Danbury, Iowa
Visitation:
Wednesday, December 11, 2013 After 5:00 p.m.
St. Mary's Catholic Church Danbury, Iowa
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