116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Obituaries
The Gazette publishes obituaries on a daily basis. Use the search field above to search for obituaries by name or keyword. Readers can submit an obituary or submit a milestone to The Gazette. The obituary must be submitted before 1 p.m. for publication on thegazette.com at 6 p.m. and in the daily edition the next day, with the exception of obituaries for Sunday publication, which must be submitted by 1 p.m. on Fridays.
Barbara Jean Sweeney
Barbara Jean Sweeney
Cedar Rapids
Barbara Jean Sweeney, 93, of Cedar Rapids, died on Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023, at Corridor Crossing Place. Funeral Mass: 10 a.m. Friday, St. Jude Catholic Church by Rev. Nick March. Burial: Mt. Calvary Cemetery. A Rosary and Vigil will be held at 4 p.m. Thursday at Teahen Funeral Home; following, friends may visit with the family from 5 to 7 p.m. at Teahen Funeral Home, and after 9 a.m. on Friday at the church.
Barbara is survived by her daughters, Cathy (Tom) Gaffney, Chris (Rick) Austin, Karen (Bob) Bolt, Anne (Tracy) Venditti, Rose (John) Kremer, Dee (George) Crum, Pat Sweeney, Mary (Jim) Brown; sons, Dan (Rosie) Sweeney and Steve (Ann) Sweeney; 22 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; and nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her spouse of 45 years, Jerome; grandson, Ian Austin; and her 10 sisters and four brothers.
Barbara was born on Oct. 16, 1930, in Sheffield, daughter of Harry “Ben” and Helen Raatz Rurup. She attended elementary school in Franklin County and graduated from Chapin High School, where she was a cheerleader and a member of the Glee Club. In October 1949, Jerome Sweeney proposed to Barbara while parked in his car in front of her apartment. Later the happy couple exchanged vows in Dougherty on Oct. 28, 1950. Barbara was a wonderful homemaker and mother, and will always be remembered for her delicious baked goods, including her famous buns, breads, Kolaches and cinnamon rolls. Barbara was a member of St. Jude Catholic Church and often donated her baked goods for funeral meals. She also sewed Barbie clothes for the St. Jude Sweet Corn Festival Country Store.
Barbara enjoyed reading and sewing and watching Iowa Hawkeye basketball. She had a deep faith in God and loved being with her family. Barbara will be deeply missed and she will be remembered for her soothing words of advice: “Always do the best you can. Be thoughtful and kind. Always pray and everything will work out in the long run.”
Memorials may be directed to the Alzheimer’s Association, 317 Seventh Ave. SE Unit 402, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401; or to St. Jude Catholic Church, 50 Edgewood Rd. NW, Cedar Rapids, IA 52405.
Online condolences can be left at www.teahenfuneralhome.com.
Daily Newsletters