Curtis Arthur VRCHOTA

VRCHOTA, LIBRA, WINCHELL, DEWITT, SCHNEIDER, RISERVATO, RENSHAW

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 10/5/2011 at 21:58:44

Obituary - Curtis Arthur Vrchota

Globe Gazette
Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
Saturday, May 21, 2005

MASON CITY — Curtis Arthur VRCHOTA, 89, of Mason City died Friday (May 13, 2005) of a heart attack while mowing the lawn.

Memorial services will be held 1 p.m. today at Wesley United Methodist Church, 1405 S. Pennsylvania Ave., with the Rev. Bill POLAND officiating. Private family inurnment services will take place in Park Cemetery, Nora Springs.

A gathering of family and friends was held from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday at Major Erickson Funeral Home, 111 N. Pennsylvania Ave. in Mason City.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given directly to the Curtis and Verna VRCHOTA Memorial Fund.

Curt was born May 9, 1916, the first of three sons of Frank and Mary (LIBRA) VRCHOTA, in Mason City. His father passed away in 1922 and his mother remarried in 1928. The family moved to Nora Springs in 1929. Curt graduated from Nora Springs High School in 1934. He was known for his baseball pitching ability and graduated as valedictorian.

Curt married Verna Ruth WINCHELL, also of Mason City, in Albert Lea, Minn., in 1940. They made their home in Mason City on 12th St. S.E. where they raised six children. After spending five years at his first steady job at the DeWITT farm northeast of town, Curt worked at Decker's meat packing plant in the lard and engineering departments from 1941 until it closed in 1975. Then he worked for three years at the Area Education Association (AEA) where he was highly prized for his helpfulness as building custodian. For the past 25 years, Curt served as usher and greeter most Sundays at Wesley United Methodist Church. Many friends looked forward to Curt's visits when they were in the hospital or nursing home. He was famously known to the neighborhood children as "Grandpa Gumball."

Curt met most weekday mornings with his coffee group at Hardee's. He tended a "Victory Garden" in his back yard since 1940 and shared his abundant fruits and vegetables. Curt and Verna enjoyed taking senior bus trips around the area.

Curt is survived by sons, LeRoy of Azusa, Calif., and Dale (Carol) of Louisburg, N.C.; daughters, Janet (Mario) of New York City, Jolene (Joe SCHNEIDER) of Seattle, Wash., and Jean of Montgomery, N.Y.; grandsons, Chane VRCHOTA of Richmond, Va., Justin and Luke RISERVATO of New York City, and Shelley VRCHOTA of Des Moines; granddaughters, Alyssa and Lace Holland of New York City; brother, Roy of Florida; and sisters-in-law Glenafa VRCHOTA, of Mason City and Gladys RENSHAW of Burnsville, Minn.; and several cousins in the Jackson, Minn., area.

He is preceded in death on April 18, 2005, by his wife, Verna WINCHELL VRCHOTA, of Mason City. He was also preceded in death by his son, Bruce VRCHOTA, of Mason City; and brother, Lester VRCHOTA, of Mason City.

Major Erickson Funeral Home & Crematory, (641) 423-0924.

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, October of 2011