SLIFKA, Mary E. (Martin) 1947-2015

MARTIN, SLIFKA, TASH

Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 3/11/2015 at 00:56:05

BORN IN FLOYD COUNTY

Mary E. Slifka

Birth date: April 22, 1947
Death date: February 23, 2015

Obituary--

Mary Slifka, 67, of Cresco, Iowa passed away on Monday, February 23, 2015 at the Cresco Care Center of Cresco, Iowa.

Mary was born on April 22, 1947, in Charles City, Iowa, to Charles and Martha (Tash) Martin. She graduated from Charles City High School in 1965. She married her true love, Kenneth Slifka on October 2, 1965. Mary retired from Mosebach and Griffth CPA office in Grundy Center, and following her husbands passing, Mary moved to Cresco.

Mary enjoyed putting scrapbooks together, reading, going to rummage sales and thrift stores with Jill, and going for boat rides. Mary spent a lot of time with Jennifer traveling to Iowa City for medical appointments. She loved the fishing trip to South Dakota with Keith and Jill, and also with her husband Ken to the Black Hills with Keith and Edie. Mary also enjoyed going fishing in Canada, and taking drives around to different places pheasant hunting on Sundays with her son when time would allow.

During her later years, Mary found an interest in Crestwood High School wrestling. She tried to attend home wrestling events to support her son Keith, her grandson Hunter, and all of Hunter’s friends that wrestled. The wrestlers got to know Mary when she was living with Keith and his family. Attending Keith’s Wrestling Banquet after the season ended was one of the highlights for Mary. The potluck was something she very much looked forward to.

The last two years Mary would tune into the Cresco radio station to make sure she kept up on all the current wrestling events. Even as of Team Regionals, she wanted to know right away the following morning how the team did. She knew how important it was to Keith and his team to qualify for Team State.

Mary also loved being a grandmother, and made sure she was with them as much as she could be. When her grandchildren would come stay she would often gather them up to go to a waterpark or swimming pools.

Mary was a generous and witty individual who loved scrapbooking, reading, and being with her family and was passionate about being a good Christian. She was an active and dedicated member of the Methodist Church in Grundy Center, and in Cresco, and loved singing in the choir. She was also church secretary at the Methodist Church in Grundy Center. Mary was also a past member of the American Women’s Auxiliary in Grundy Center as well as in Cresco.

She always looked forward to her daily calls from Jennifer and Jill and her friend Bill, whom she met in Cresco.

Her children remember her as a kind, gentle, patient mother who encouraged them to pursue their goals and live happy loving lives.

She is survived by a son Keith (Edie) Slifka of Cresco, Iowa, two daughters, Jennifer (Jon Garcia Jr.) Buseman of Waterloo, Iowa, and Jill (William Harn) Slifka of Waterloo, Iowa, five grandchildren, Hunter and Whitney Slifka, Jared Harn, and Jessie and Jasmine Slifka, a brother David (Elfriede) Martin of DuPont, Washington, a sister Sharon Jorgensen of Clear Lake, Iowa.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, three brother-in-laws, Keith Slifka, Gary Sylvester, and Charles Jorgensen, a sister-in-law Marilyn Stanely, and two nieces, Terri Schaff and Sherry Cosgriff.

Visitation:
Friends may call 4-7 p.m. on Thursday at the Lindstrom Funeral Home in Cresco, Iowa, and also one hour prior to services at the church.

Service:
Funeral services will be held on Friday, February 27, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. at the Cresco Community Chapel in Cresco, Iowa.

Cemetery:
Burial will be in the New Oregon Cemetery in rural Cresco, Iowa.

Source: Lindstrom Funeral Home, Riceville.