Marlene 'Kay' Ciha

MARLENE KATHRYN "KAY" CIHA

Kalona

Marlene Kathryn "Kay" Ciha of Kalona passed away Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2016, at the age of 71 after a courageous battle with cancer.

A time of visitation for family and friends will be from noon to 2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 23, at Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service in Iowa City, where at 2 p.m., there will be a service of memories and stories shared. Burial will follow in Oakland Cemetery, Solon.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made in Kay's memory to Washington County Hospice or a memorial fund that has been established.

Online condolences can be sent for her family through the funeral home website at www.gayandciha.com.

Kay was born March 14, 1945, to Joe and Mary White in Indianola, Iowa. Her father, Joe, worked as an electrician for Indianola Power and Light when Kay was born. Then, in 1952, he moved his family to Iowa City to start a new job with Great Lakes Pipeline in Coralville.

Kay attended public schools through junior high and then attended Regina High School, graduating in 1963. After graduation, Kay started working for University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in the X-Ray Department, leaving in 1969. Kay went on to start her long career at Moore Business Forms, now known as RR Donnelley, in Iowa City. She retired in 2002 after 33 years.

In 1966, Kay married Dave Nealson, and they had two daughters, Tami in 1967 and Jodi in 1969. They divorced in 1973.

Kay later married Dave Ciha on June 22, 1974, at the Little Brown Church in Nashua. They bought the first family home in Hills in 1978. In the near 40 years of marriage, Kay and Dave shared so much of their lives together. One of the many hobbies was raising and showing rabbits all over the U.S. This started as a 4-H project for Tami and Jodi and it lasted over 20 years. Dave and Kay served as the rabbit department superintendents for the Johnson County Fair for over 10 years.

In 1992, Dave and Kay, along with Dave's dad, Wes, started building the new home south of Kalona. This beautiful house has been the gathering place for family functions, class reunions, garden parties and political meetings. Both Dave and Kay were big into installing the values of hard work, family values, and caring for mother nature, whether it was the birds, turkeys, deer, or waterways, this Mother Earth is all we have! And this could be seen with the amount of plants that Kay had planted around their home. With her green thumb, Kay decided to get her master gardener license in 2012. She enjoyed the time tending to her many flower gardens around the house. She always said there was nothing better than the smell of dirt.

Kay was a big supporter for the Democratic Party on the local, state and national levels, having held positions on the Washington County Democrats. But she always made you laugh, as she had to explain that she had friends who were Republicans, too.

Kay thoroughly enjoyed attending her grandchildren's and great-grandchildren's events. She was always a great supporter and sideline cheerer.

Her family includes children, Tami Stellmach (John) and Jodi Nealson (Jason Helle), Dan Ciha (Colette Soults) and Bill Ciha (Wendy Rasmussen); 13 grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; sister, Janet Edmonds of Iowa City; and brother, James White of North Liberty.

"Sometimes we forget to live while we're trying not to die." ~ unknown