Blanche Marie Dermody, 1925 – 2011

DERMODY, O’ROURKE, ROWE, PEIFFER, DONOHOE, ESCHER

Posted By: Sandy Ficken (email)
Date: 4/12/2011 at 16:41:36

Funeral Mass for Blanche M. Dermody, 85, Parnell, was held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 22, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Williamsburg. She died Monday, Jan. 17, 2011, at the English Valley Care Center, North English.

The Rev. Joseph Roost officiated at the service.

Burial was in St. Michael’s Cemetery, Holbrook.

Pallbearers were Ryan Dermody, Randy Dermody, Aaron Rowe, Justin Rowe, Azariah Rowe, Jacob Rowe and Jared Rowe.

Memorials may be made to Friends of Old Saint Michael’s or St. Mary’s Catholic Church.

Powell Funeral Home and Cremation Service, Williamsburg, was in charge of arrangements. Messages and tributes may be left at www.powellfuneralhomes.com, under obituaries.

Blanche Marie Dermody was born March 20, 1925, in Liberty Township, Keokuk County, the daughter of Joseph and Marie (Giblin) O’Rourke. She was baptized at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Little Creek, Keokuk County, March 29, 1925, and was also confirmed there. She attended Hickory Ridge Country School until March of 1939 when the family moved to a farm south of Parnell. She graduated from Parnell High School in 1943. She attended Ottumwa Heights College/St. Joseph Hospital School of Nursing, Ottumwa, graduating in 1946. She began her nursing career in the Miller Hospital, Williamsburg.

She married Clement Dermody May 21, 1947, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Parnell. The couple lived in Williamsburg for a short time, then moved to their new home on a farm east of Parnell.

She also worked at Marengo Memorial Hospital; the University of Iowa Hospital, on the eye ward; Johnson County Home; Iowa City Care Center; Oaknoll Retirement Center; English Valley Care Center and also volunteered for hospice.

She was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church.

Dermody is survived by her husband, Clement, North English; three sons and their wives, James Dermody, Amana; Larry and Mary Dermody, Parnell, and Patrick and Sheryl Dermody, Parnell; one daughter and her husband, Diane and Doug Rowe, Conroy; 14 grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; two sisters and their husbands, Patsy and Donald Peiffer, Cedar Rapids, and Helen and Merve Donohoe, Parnell.

She was preceded in death by her parents; one sister, Maxine Escher, and one brother-in-law, Claude Escher.

The Williamsburg Journal Tribune, Williamsburg, Iowa, 27 Jan 2011, pg 3