Gallagher, Cyrilla Anne (1936-2009)
GALLAGHER, STOCK, RUDY, DUNNING
Posted By: Paul Nagy (email)
Date: 12/27/2009 at 16:37:50
Cyrilla Anne Gallagher - Feb. 08, 1936 - Jan. 09, 2009
Cyrilla Anne Gallagher, 72, of Storm Lake, died Friday, January 9, 2009, at Buena Vista Regional Medical Center following a battle with cancer.
Anne Stock was born February 8, 1936 in Sioux City, Iowa, the daughter of Everett and Cyrilla Stock. She attended school in Storm Lake and graduated from Storm Lake High School in 1954.
Anne attended the University of Northern Iowa (then called State Teachers College of Iowa) and earned a degree in elementary education in 1957. She later enjoyed teaching stops in Algona, Vinton, Strawberry Point and Storm Lake, all in Iowa.
While teaching kindergarten in Vinton, she met salesman Don Gallagher and the two were married five months later in Storm Lake, on Aug. 5, 1961. The couple resided in Vinton before moving to Strawberry Point in 1963. The Gallaghers raised eight children in Strawberry Point. Anne worked as a homemaker and then started a pre-school in their home in 1977. She followed their youngest child to kindergarten in 1981, when she resumed her teaching career in the kindergarten classroom.
The family moved to Storm Lake in 1988 and Anne served as a substitute teacher until she was hired to direct the Talented & Gifted program in the Storm Lake Community School District in 1991. She retired from teaching in Storm Lake in 2001.
In addition to teaching and raising her family, Anne was devoted to her church and community. She was a board member for Storm Lake’s Dollars for Scholars program. She was also a Rosary leader and member of the Legion of Mary in Storm Lake. She served as a school board member, a Cub Scout den mother, a religious education teacher and a member of the St. Mary’s Catholic Church Choir in Strawberry Point.
Along the way she attended more than 1,000 little league and high school baseball games, often keeping score of those contests in a notebook, a hobby she began during her days as a girl watching the Storm Lake Whitecaps semipro baseball team.
When not following high school or college athletics, Anne kept busy crocheting, reading and listening to the Chicago Cubs. She created nearly 400 afghans, all given to newborns, high school graduates or newlyweds. When she suspected this Christmas might be her last, Anne crocheted a personalized afghan for each one of her 23 grandchildren.
She was known for her faith, her commitment to education, an infectious laugh and all things Irish.
Anne is survived by her husband of 47 years, Don, in Storm Lake, eight children, their spouses and 23 grandchildren. The children are: Maggie and her husband Allen Rudy of Radcliffe, Iowa; Dan and his wife Jen of Waukee, Iowa; Joe and his wife Cathy of St. Charles, Missouri; Tim and his wife Jill of Moville, Iowa; Marty of Storm Lake, Iowa; Katie and her husband Matt Dunning of Cedar Falls, Iowa; Ed and his wife Gina of Jackson, Minnesota; and Jerry and his wife Kelly of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Anne is also survived by one brother, Bill Stock of Clive, Iowa.
She was preceded in death by her parents and a brother, Tom Stock.
A funeral Mass was held at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, January 12, 2008 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Storm Lake with the Reverend Bruce Lawler officiating. Burial is in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Storm Lake. The Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake is in charge of the arrangements.
Visitation with family present was held from 3:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, January 11th at Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake. A Rosary was said at 3:30 p.m. with the public invited.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Storm Lake Dollars for Scholars program.
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Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home
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