Sams, Thelma E.

Thelma E. Sams, 92, of Iowa City, died peacefully at home on Friday, Oct. 30, 2009. Funeral services will be 10 a.m. Monday, Nov. 2, at First Presbyterian Church, Iowa City, with the Rev. Sam Massey officiating. Graveside services will be at 2:30 p.m. Monday at Highland Memory Gardens, Des Moines. Friends may call Sunday from 3 to 6 p.m. at Lensing Funeral and Cremation Service, Iowa City.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Iowa City Hospice or First Presbyterian Church.

Thelma was born Sept. 10, 1917, in Cambridge, Iowa, the daughter of Tollen and Ella Larson Engen. On May 29, 1943, Thelma married Lawrence J. Sams in Des Moines. Thelma was a longtime resident of Des Moines, where she had been an administrative assistant with Holmes, Murphy and Associates. She moved to Iowa City following the death of her husband in 1987. She was active in church activities and liked to crochet and sew. She was known as “The Cookie Lady' because she enjoyed making cookies and pies for family and friends. Thelma was proud of her Norwegian heritage, and often made Norwegian dishes.

Thelma is survived by three daughters, Donna (Jason) Chen of Iowa City, Marsha (Dan) O' Connell of Cedar Rapids and Karen (Marv) Ebbens of Alto, Mich.; seven grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and her siblings, Wilma Kaltenhauser of Ankeny, Dorothy Denton of Cambridge and Roger (Grace) Engen of Ames.

Thelma was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; two sisters, Mildred Fitch and Alvina McHone; and two infant siblings.

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