Clark, Anna M. 'Ann' (Slach)

Anna M. “Ann” (Slach) Clark, 80, of Iowa City, died Sunday, July 18, 2010, at Bickford Cottage in Iowa City. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m., Thursday at St. Mark's United Methodist Church in Iowa City. A reception will immediately follow the service and at 3 p.m. a graveside service will be conducted at the Mount Vernon Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service in Iowa City.

In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been established.

Online condolences may be sent for her family through the web at

Anna Martha Slach was born March 19, 1930, in rural Cedar County (Plato) Iowa. She was the daughter of James E. and Bessie B. (Lodr) Slach. She attended country school, graduating from West Branch High School in the class of 1947. On March 18, 1950, she married Eugene “Gene” O. Clark in Angola, Ind. Ann had worked a number of jobs throughout the years, including Johnson's Hatchery in West Branch, West Branch Bank, and for many years was in the director's office in the Audio Visual Center of the University of Iowa.

Ann had many passions in this world, to say the least she loved her family, especially her two granddaughters; she also loved Iowa Hawkeye Sports, especially anything to do with the men's basketball team! She was known to many past basketball players as their “Basketball Mom,” a title she lived for. She was also “the Mom” to many foreign exchange students over the years. She loved to bake and cook, scrapbook and enjoy the outdoors, camping and fishing. Many family and friends were the beneficiaries of her making her native kolaches to share.

Her family includes her daughter, Barbara A. Clark of Staten Island, N.Y.; two granddaughters, Amanda and Andrea Oropeza, both of Iowa City; brother, Arnold Slach of Iowa City; and her son-in-law, Gustavo Oropeza of Iowa City; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Ann was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Gene; and two brothers, Edwin and Leonard.