Elsie Drahovzal

ELSIE DRAHOVZAL

Cedar Rapids

Elsie Drahovzal, 103, a short-term resident of Sierra Vista, Ariz., passed away Friday, May 19, 2017. Elsie lived in Cedar Rapids her entire life except for the last nine months, when she was brave enough to move to Arizona to be closer to the Arizona side of her family. A celebration of life will be held in Cedar Rapids later this summer. Papich-Kuba Funeral Service, Cedar Rapids, is serving the family.

Elsie is survived by her daughter, Carol (Larry) Sipe, Benson, Ariz.; four grandchildren: Bret Sipe, Vail, Ariz.;

Kristine (Kenny) McMinimy, Benson, Ariz.; Jill (Steve) Brimeyer, Ankeny, Iowa; and David (Jessi) Funcke, DeKalb, Ill.; nine great-grandchildren; and seven great-great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Vaclav and Kristina Volak; husband, Benjamin; sisters, Libbie Vig and Vlasta Kopecky; grandson, Brook Sipe; great-great-granddaughter, Zoe Sipe; daughter, Marcia Funcke; and son-in-law, Jack Funcke.

Elsie, or Eliška, as she was known in her youth, was born April 19, 1914, in a small house next door to ZCBJ Hall in Cedar Rapids, where her father, Vaclav Volak, was a part-time janitor. Vaclav came to the U.S. in 1904 from Czechoslovakia, a 19-year-old stowaway on a New York-bound boat and then on a freight train to Iowa. At 16, Elsie was a founding member of the ZCBJ Drill Team.

Elsie Volak married Benjamin Drahovzal on Thanksgiving afternoon, Nov. 25, 1937, at Hus Memorial Presbyterian Church. She worked in the investment department handling mortgage loans at Western Fraternal Life Association (WFLA) from 1947 until her retirement in 1979, serving in the same department as her sisters, Libbie and Vlasta. She was the secretary of WFLA Lodge 262 for many years, belonged to Damska Matice Skolske, and served on the board of the Cedar Rapids Czech School, where she also taught.

Music was always close to Elsie's heart. She and Ben sang in the Cedar Rapids Civic Chorus, and Elsie was the premiere piano accompanist in the area for local and national vocalists and instrumentalists. She accompanied the Karla Masaryk Chorus for 25 years, performing throughout Iowa and on the radio.

Elsie was a longtime member of Hus Memorial Presbyterian Church, where she directed the choir for 34 years, retiring in 1982, and also played the organ for special events.

She loved to travel and made many trips to visit cousins in the Czech Republic, with whom she faithfully corresponded in Czech. She will continue to be remembered as a champion for the preservation of Czech heritage, gifted musician, incredible kolache baker and dumpling maker, and a loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great-grandmother.

~May the soft sounds of piano keys greet you with the sweetest of melodies as you journey onward.~

Memorial contributions may be given to Hus Memorial Presbyterian Church or the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.papich-kubafs.com under obituaries.