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Shima, Irene A.
Irene A. Shima, 80, of rural Solon, died Friday, Feb. 17, 2012, suddenly at her home. Funeral services will be held 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21, at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church in Iowa City, with burial to follow at St. Joseph Cemetery in Iowa City. Visitation will be from 3 to 7 p.m. Monday at Gay & Ciha Funeral Service in Iowa City, where a parish rosary will be shared at 3 p.m.
Irene A. Novotny was born Feb. 19, 1931, in rural Johnson County, Iowa, the daughter of Charles and Agnes Novotny. She attended Big Grove Country School No. 5 near Solon and she graduated from Solon High School with the class of 1948.On June 19, 1950, she was united in marriage to Glenn H. Shima.
During the 1950s, she worked at Merchants National Bank and Rockwell Collins in Cedar Rapids.Later she worked for Pepperidge Farm, ACT, and for many years the City of Iowa City, where she retired in August 1996.
Through all these years she was also Glenn's right hand man on their farm!
She and Glenn enjoyed life; they loved traveling with family and friends, having gone to many different destinations, including Hawaii and Alaska, and were frequent visitors with the Princess Cruise lines (11 cruises to be exact).
She loved spending time with their friends, playing the marble game and dominoes, and trying to keep up with the granddaughters activities both at Solon High School and in college at the University of Iowa and the University of Northern Iowa.
She was a member of St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church, National Catholic Society of Foresters, The Catholic Order of Foresters, Solon American Legion Auxiliary, and she loved tooling around with the Classy Chassy Cruisers!
Her family includes her husband of 61 years, Glenn; two daughters and their husbands, Kayleen and Mike Gardner and Connie and Dick Friedl, all of Solon; two granddaughters, Emily and Kelly Friedl; a sister, Alma Funk of Iowa City; and a brother, Raymond Novotny of Center Point.
She was preceded in death by her parents, and a sister-in-law, Betty Shima.
Memorial donations can be made in Irene's memory to Camp Courageous, Iowa City Hospice or the charity of the donor's choice.
Online condolences may be sent for her family through the web at andciha.com.
Published Feb. 19, 2012 in The Gazette
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