Lela Slach

LELA MAE "TOOTS" SLACH

West Branch

Lela Mae "Toots" Slach, 85, passed away Wednes-day, Oct. 28, 2015, at Crestview Care and Rehab Center in West Branch. Funeral services will be 10 a.m. Monday, Nov. 2, at Henderson-Barker Funeral Home in West Branch. Visitation will be Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m. at the funeral home. Burial will be in West Branch Cemetery.

Online condolences may be made to the family at www.hendersonbarker

funeralhome.com.

A memorial fund has been established.

Lela Mae Slach (nicknamed "Toots") was born Jan. 26, 1930, the only daughter of A.C. and Elsie Christian Stiff. She grew up in Rochester and graduated from Springdale High School in 1947. On March 4, 1951, she married Edwin Slach at the Little Brown Church in Nashua. They farmed north of West Branch for many years before moving to town.

Lela worked at Burge Hall Cafeteria at the University of Iowa. Later she worked as a clerk at Measurement Research Center/Westinghouse/NCS, retiring in 1990.

Lela loved traveling with her husband and they spent many winters in Pharr, Texas.

She enjoyed cross-stitching and made many gifts for friends and family. In 2009, her daughters took her on her dream trip to Alaska.

Lela was preceded in death by her husband, Edwin; her parents; and her brothers, Bill Stiff, Don Stiff and Joe Stiff.

She is survived by three daughters, Pamela Quinlan of Des Moines, June Hauck (Tim) of Racine, Wis., and Penny Cummings (Bill) of Syracuse, N.Y.; one brother, Dale Stiff; six grandchildren, Tricia Quinlan, Chad Quinlan (Jessica), Daniel Hauck, Laura Hauck, Kirsten Cummings and Kelly Cummings; and two great-grandchildren, Kaitlyn and Jakob Quinlan.

A special thank you to Crestview Care and Rehab Center and Care Initiative Hospice for the care given to Lela during her stay.