Zankowski, Sharon Louise (Koomler)

Sharon Louise (Koomler) Zankowski, 61, of Toddville, died Monday, Jan. 25, 2010, at St. Luke's Hospital, Cedar Rapids. A Celebration of Life will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Center, Marion. The family will greet friends from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Burial: 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 6, at Dunkard Cemetery.

Survivors include her husband of 40 years, Louis; six children, Nicole Marrone of California, Gerald Lee Zankowski of Fort Dodge, Veronica (Zankowski) Webb of Cedar Rapids, Jesse O. Zankowski of Ankeny, Ashley Zankowski of Cedar Rapids, and Michael R. Zankowski of Vinton; her mother, Alvina Koomler of Fort Wayne, Ind.; six grandchildren, including Ashleigh Rose Marrone and Zoey K. Webb; two sisters, Jennifer (Koomler) Boger of Fort Wayne, and Roxane Travelbee of Columbia City, Ind.; and several aunts, uncles and cousins.

She was preceded in death by her father.

Sharon was born Sept. 23, 1948, the daughter of Gerald and Alvina (Wade) Koomler, in Fort Wayne. She graduated from Elmhurst High School in Fort Wayne in 1966. Sharon married Louis O. Zankowski on Aug. 9, 1969, in Fort Wayne. After attending college, she worked briefly as a registered nurse. As a foster parent, Sharon helped mother and mentor 20 children, all of whom were very special to her.

Please sign the online guest book for Sharon at under obituaries.