Thursday, June 24, 2021 7:53 am
After battling cancer for six years, Charlene Zweibohmer age 69, of Ossian, died Tuesday, June 22, 2021 surrounded by family and loved ones at the Winneshiek Medical Center in Decorah.
Mass of Christian Burial will be 2 p.m., on Saturday, June 26, 2021 at the St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church at 402 East Main St. in Ossian, with Rev. Donald Hertges presiding. Burial will be in the church cemetery.Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m., on Friday, June 25, 2021 at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church in Ossian, and also after 1 p.m. at the church on Saturday.
In lieu of flowers: Memorials may be made to the family of Charlene Zweibohmer at P.O. Box 132, Ossian, IA 52161.
Charlene Henrietta (Novak) Zweibohmer was born on March 8, 1952, the daughter of Julius and Georgiana (Riha) Novak in Cresco. She was the oldest of a set of triplets. Charlene graduated from South Winneshiek High School, Calmar, Class of 1970. From Winneshiek Co, she went to St. Mary’s in Rochester, Minn., to work as a Nurse’s Aide on the orthopedic floor from 1970-1973 where she met some interesting people such as Evel Knievel and Bart Starr. She lived and worked in Rochester until one evening at the Pla-Mor Ball Room she met her soulmate and future husband, Herb. They were married Sept. 22, 1973 at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Protivin. The newlyweds moved to the Zweibohmer home farm by Ossian where they started and raised their family.
While helping Herb with farming, she also worked at Wapsi Produce in Decorah. Then in 1982, she made many new friends when she started working at Lands End in West Union, and continued working there until the plant closed. Along the way, in June of 1987, the family moved to their house in Ossian. While in Ossian, the list of friends and neighbors, that she held close to her heart, kept growing and growing.
Charlene loved to sew. Between the construction of many dresses and alterations for weddings, quilts sewn for the Hospice, and repairs made to many pairs of blue jeans and jackets, she really left her stitch on the world. Feeding her family on special occasions, which could be any day of the week, pies, cakes, and banana bread could be found a plenty. One problem she seemed to have were the disappearing jars of freezer jam, always occurring after having any one of her sons over to help with household tasks. She loved spending time with her grandchildren, teaching them baking, sewing, and occasionally the fundamentals of brewing homemade hooch. Finally, her true love of collecting snow buddies, whether receiving them at Christmastime, or at one of the many stops made to Goodwill, or having them arrive any day that ended in -y, can be seen displayed in the house that she made home for her family over the many years.
Charlene is survived by her children: Harvey (Monica) Zweibohmer, Ossian, IA; Alan (Jennifer) Zweibohmer, Ridgeway, IA; Herbert Jr. (Amanda) Zweibohmer, Calmar, IA; Darlene. Eight grandchildren: Cloey and Hayden Zweibohmer; DaeHan (Rebecca) and Dalton Harvey; Alexander Zweibohmer; Matthew, Michael and Angela Hageman. Two great-grandchildren: Tulsa and Titus Harvey. Sisters: Arlene (Robert) Scott, Wilton, IA; Marlene Tieskotter, Nashua, IA; Kathleen (Dennis) Tieskotter, Lawler, IA. Sister-in-law: Ruth Balk, Lawler, IA.She was preceded in death by her husband Herbert in 2014. Parents: Julius and Georgiana (Riha) Novak. Father and mother-in-law: Hugo and Angela (Bullerman) Zweibohmer. Brothers-in-law: Richard Tieskotter and Richard Balk. Nephew: David Scott. Nieces: Christine Tieskotter and Karen (Tieskotter) McDonald.
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