OWEN, Clotilda Marie (Stroschein) 1915-2011

STROSCHEIN, OWEN

Posted By: Connie Ellis (email)
Date: 11/3/2014 at 15:40:53

SOURCE: Mitchell Family Funeral Home obituary
Contributor: Connie Ellis (Not related)

Clotilda Owen, age 95, of Marshalltown, Iowa, died late Monday night, April 4, 2011 at the Hospice of the Valley in Mesa, Arizona. A funeral mass will be celebrated at 2:00 p.m. Thursday, April 14 at St. Mary's Catholic Church with Father Jim Miller officiating. Visitation will be held from noon until the service time at the church. She will be laid to rest at the Calvary* Cemetery in McGregor, Iowa on Friday.

Clotilda Marie Owen was born September 21, 1915 to Anna and William Stroschein. Tillie, as she was known by her friends, had one older brother, Leander "Tommy" Stroschein. Tillie attended all 8 grades in a country schoolhouse. The family lived on a 160 acre farm bordered on the east by the Volga River and on the southwest by the wooded hills of Clayton County. Corn and soybeans were grown on the level land close to the river. As was the norm for family farms during that era, they raised hogs and maintained a chicken coop full of egg laying hens. The family kept a small herd of dairy cows which they milked by hand morning and night. After Tillie graduated from Elkport High School. She obtained a teaching certificate from Iowa State Teachers College in Cedar Falls, Iowa. At the age of 18 she started teaching in a one room country schoolhouse. At a dance one night, a group of Tillie's friends introduced her to a young man who was teaching and coaching in a nearby high school. It was "Love at first sight!" Bill continued teaching and coaching but courted Tillie as often as possible. When Bill asked Tillie to marry him, she said "Yes!" but they had two problems to overcome. Bill Owen was not a Catholic but he started taking instructions from the parish priest and soon became a Catholic. Bill often said that he had to learn fast because Father Horsfield quickly gave him instructions so they could spend the rest of the time playing chess! The second problem to solve was that Tillie's parents did not want her to get married while she was still a teenager! That is why they got married on September 21, 1935 which was the date of Tillie's birthday!! Tillie and Bill's first home was in the back of the butcher shop in Elkport, Iowa where daughter Marilyn Marie was born on January 24, 1937. When Bill was offered the job as high school principal in Marquette, Iowa, they moved to a 2nd floor apartment in an old red brick downtown building. Later they moved to "The Bench" which was located on the hillside overlooking the Mississippi River and the huge railroad station terminal. Their son, Robert William Owen entered the world on May 29, 1941. Bill accepted the job as the high school principal in Waukon, Iowa, a position he held for 10 years. Tillie started teaching again in a country school about 10 miles northwest of Waukon. Because the roads were dirt and gravel, driving was difficult at times. Bill solved that by buying an old Model T Ford for Tillie. This model T got Tillie through the Winter snowdrifts and the rutted muddy roads in the Spring! Tillie and Bill moved next to Council Bluffs, then Charles City, and back to McGregor when Bill took jobs as high school principal in those towns. After almost 60 years of marriage, Bill passed away May 21, 1995. Tillie continued to live in McGregor for awhile and then decided to move to Marshalltown to be closer to her son Bob.

Tillie was blessed with good health most of her life except for her poor hearing. She led a wonderful life as a good mother and devoted Catholic. At the age of 95, on April 14, 2011, Tillie left her Earthly Home for her Heavenly Home. She leaves to mourn her passing, her two children, 12 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren and her many friends who will miss her. Family and friends know that they will see her when they get to Heaven where she will be enjoying her sewing, making quilts and rosaries, playing the piano, scrabble and bridge. God Bless you Tillie until we meet again.

*Note: burial is in St. Mary's / St. Pius cemetery, McGregor