Dlugosch, Byrdena "Birdie" (1918-2014)
DLUGOSCH, ELBERT, MUNDON, ORMSBY, MCGRATH, PURCELL, SAMPSON, ARMSTRONG
Posted By: Paul Nagy (email)
Date: 4/7/2014 at 12:50:41
Byrdena "Birdie" Dlugosch
February 07, 1918 - March 07, 2014Storm Lake, Iowa
Byrdena “Birdie” Elbert Dlugosch, age 96, died on March 7, 2014.
The daughter of John and Althea Leora Mundon Elbert, Byrdena was born on February 7, 1918, in Swan Lake Township, Pocahontas, Iowa. She attended grammar school in Spencer, Iowa. After moving to Storm Lake, she graduated from Storm Lake High School in 1935. She, then, attended Chillicothe Business School, Iowa State University, and the University of South Dakota, graduating with a degree in Nutrition. She was a member of the Tri-Delta Sorority. After graduating, she taught in Schaller, Iowa.
A member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Storm Lake, Byrdena actively participated in the Ladies’ Guild and in the Catholic Daughters of America. In addition, she spent numerous hours volunteering at St. Mary’s School, which her children attended. She was a lifetime member of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
An avid bridge player, Byrdena put on the most beautiful bridge parties. Her amazing cooking abilities became legendary. Anyone who ever tasted her caramel rolls would rave about them. Known for her elegant fashion, she never left the house without her pearls. She mentored so many, teaching them to live their lives with beauty and grace. Once, she even told a newlywed, who had asked for advice on how to entertain, “Never be afraid to take your crystal champagne glass out on a golf cart… It makes all the difference.”
On July 1, 1941, Byrdena married Paul Albert Dlugosch at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Storm Lake. Ever at each other’s side for over seventy years, she and Paul also traveled extensively. They were blessed with three children, Paul John, Susan Kay, and Anne Lee. She loved them all unconditionally and taught them by her example to live life to the fullest.
Those left to cherish her memory include her children: Paul John (Joyce) Dlugosch, Susan (Patrick) Ormsby, and Anne (Kevin) McGrath; her eleven grandchildren, her pride and joy: Paul Albert (Andrea) Dlugosch, Pete (Kelly) Dlugosch, Mindy (Paul) Purcell, Lisa (Teddy) Sampson, Jennifer Armstrong, Patrick (Susan) Ormsby, Christopher (Dr. Raechel Willard) Ormsby, Kevin McGrath, Timothy McGrath, Brian (Elizabeth) McGrath, and Molly McGrath; her nineteen great grandchildren; and her nieces: Patricia, Julie, and Becky Elbert; as well as extended family members and many friends.
Birdie was preceded in death by her husband, Paul Dlugosch; her parents, John and Leora Elbert; and her stepbrother, George, and his wife, Lucille Elbert.
She will be missed by all.
Visitation: 9:00-11:00 a.m., March 10, 2014, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Storm Lake, Iowa.
Mass of Christian Burial: 11:00 a.m., March 10, 2014, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Storm Lake, Iowa.
Interment: March 10, 2014, at St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery in Storm Lake, Iowa.Copyright © 2014, Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Homes
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