Dorothy Pranskunas

DOROTHY PRANSKUNAS

Prairieburg

Dorothy Marie Pranskunas, 92, of Prairieburg, passed away June 9, 2016, at Lantern Park Nursing Home in Coralville. Funeral Mass will be 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, June 14, at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Prairieburg. Burial will follow at St. Joseph Cemetery, Prairieburg. There will be a buffet luncheon at Prairie Moon Bar & Grill.

Dorothy was born Nov. 22, 1923, to George and Magdelene Pranskunas, immigrants from Lithuania, in Cedar Rapids. She attended Garfield Elementary School in Cedar Rapids before her family moved to Prairieburg. There she went to North Boulder Elementary School, a one-room schoolhouse. She graduated from Coggon High School in 1941 and then entered Mount Mercy Business School in Cedar Rapids.

Dorothy worked as a bookkeeper for Wilder Grain Co. in Cedar Rapids until her retirement. She was a dedicated member of St. Joseph Catholic Church. For many years she did the bookkeeping and belonged to circle groups, helping with fish fries and fundraising projects. She was well-known for her lemon meringue pies.

Dorothy, with her sister, Emma, lived on her parents' farm most of her life. She enjoyed watching the beauty of their farm and all the farms surrounding it and often sat outside admiring the lawn and her peony garden, feeling the peace it brought to her.

Dorothy was very generous and supportive to her nieces and nephew. They included her in every part of their lives and considered her a wise source of advice. She enjoyed their many visits, phone calls and letters with updates on what was new. She enriched their childhood with experiences on the farm that they will never forget.

Dorothy was preceded in death by her parents; her sister, Emma Pranskunas; brother-in-law, Jerome Hogarty; and stepgreat-nephew, Anthony Andrade.

Dorothy is survived by her sister, Edith Hogarty of Iowa City; nephew, Joe (Jo) Hogarty of North Liberty; and nieces, Annette (Bill) Dane of Urbandale, Jan (Brian) Andrade of Lee's Summit, Mo., and Emily (Ron) Hobbs of Overland Park, Kan. She also is survived by nine great-nieces and great-nephews, Dennis (Shannon) Dane, Catherine (Joe) Mochal, Ellen (Chris) Young, Kristin (Will) Nebergall, Sean, Brooke and Courtney Martin, and Kyle and Quinten Hobbs. Her great-great- nieces and nephews include Alexis and George Mochal, Ryan, Natalie and Audrey Dane, and Miles and Rocco Young.

Along with family, Dorothy valued the friendship and support of Berna McNamara, Janet Morrow and Kay Lawrence. Along with these kind women, her neighbors and friends were wonderful to her, and she was very grateful for their kindness and help. Her family would like to extend deep gratitude to these friends as well as Lantern Park Nursing Home for their wonderful care.

Memorials may be directed to the Dennis and Donna Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy in Hiawatha, as well as St. Joseph Cemetery.

Please share a memory of Dorothy at www.murdochfuneralhome.com under obituaries.