Adelaide E. Bulgarelli

BULGARELLI, BADLAT, MEEKS, SERKIES, MCGINTY, CURTIS, TRIMBLE, BECKMANN, PRONK, BIDDLE, JONES, WUBBEN, TOUCH

Posted By: Tara (email)
Date: 8/15/2012 at 12:53:40

Adelaide E. Bulgarelli, formerly of Iowa City, died at the age of 94 on August 7, 2012 in her Houston home with her husband, Guido, at her side.

Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10am, Monday August 13, 2012 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church with Father Ken Kuntz and Father John Spiegel officiating. Entombment will be at the Memory Gardens Mausoleum. Visitation will be Sunday from 2 to 6 pm at Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service, Iowa City, where a Vigil Service will be held at 5:30 pm. In lieu of flowers, please honor her desire to help others by sending donations to 'St. Anthony's Bread' c/o St. Mary’s Church which serves those in need. Reach - Touch - Care – Share

Adelaide was born February 25, 1918 in Des Moines, IA to Marie and James Badlat. She graduated from St. John's Grade School, St. Joseph's Academy and Thompson's Beauty Academy, eventually becoming a hair dresser. She pursued her love of dance through her membership of Dance Master Assoc. of Chicago and dancing professionally for 8 years as a "Dancing Debutante", traveling the midwest with Ronald Reagan as the emcee, performing specialty dances of tap, ballet, toe and toe tap. Sharing the grace of dance, Adelaide and her future husband won the MGM Great Waltz Contest at the Tromar Ballroom in Des Moines in 1938. Her marriage to Guido Bulgarelli (97), July 30, 1939, was the beginning of a 73 year love affair of each other, of dancing, their family, their faith and a zest for life!

Adelaide's life has been of service to God and those in need. In 1956-1969, she organized a Catholic Youth Dancing Club for the Catholic youth of Iowa City. Through example and activities, she taught social grace, ballroom dance, and Christian attitude. She was a member of the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women, the International Federation of Catholic Alumni, a charter member of the Mercy Hospital Guild, from1969-1971 on the St. Mary's Parish Council, 1974-1976 on the Davenport Diocesan Lay Council representing 119 parishes in the Diocese and in 1977-1997 appointed by the Bishop as Honorary Diocesan Lay Council Member. In 1976, she founded St. Anthony's Bread of St. Mary's to accept donations to financially help those in the community of poor, elderly or handicapped with basic daily needs of food, clothing, utilities or episodic needs or emergencies. She also did fund raising for St. Patrick's church, Regina and for individuals with needs. In 1986, she was elected to delegate on the Iowa Catholic Conference of Bishops. In 1988, Pope John Paul II awarded Adelaide a medal and certificate called the Pro Ecclesia Et Pontifica (For the Church and the Papacy) in recognition and thanks for 35 years of distinguished service in the church.

In 1964, she opened Adelaide's Beaute Cove and worked with her mother from home as a hair dresser. In 1970, she was a member the Toujour Dansant Club of Iowa City. In 1976, Adelaide participated in the performance of "30's and 40's Revue" by Mary Lea Leitch Dance Studio. Continuing her love of dance, in 1978, she joined the Footlights Academy of Dance and also became a member of a performing tap dance troupe, the "Toujour Tappettes". Over the years, she shared her love of dance by teaching over a 1000 young people of Iowa City and outlying communities ballroom dancing and etiquette. From 1995-2008, she joined the New Horizon Band and played percussion along side her saxophone playing husband. For pure relaxing enjoyment, 1955-1982 to when her VHS tapes of the show wore out, she religiously watched the Lawrence Welk Show.

Adelaide is survived by her husband, Guido; four children, Dennis and Judi Bulgarelli of St. Louis, David and Liz Bulgarelli of Coralville, Mindy and Don Meeks of Houston, and Cindy and Stephen Serkies of Ewa Beach, HI; 13 grandchildren, Angela (Shannon McGinty) Curtis, Liz (Ray) Trimble, Vaune (Lisa) Bulgarelli- Beckmann, Bryan Bulgarelli (Deceased), Lindsay (Art) Pronk, Donnie (Trisha) Meeks, Ryan (Stephanie) Meeks, Trevor (Katie) Meeks, Brittany and fiance Jason Biddle, Shannon (Jarrod) Jones, Tony (Tanya Wubben) Serkies and Nicholas Serkies;and 13 great grand children,Katie,Michael,Maddie, Justin, Andrew, Alec, Nate, Dakota, Milani, Levi, Jayda, Kaya and Zyan.

She was preceded in death by her parents James and Marie Badlat, her brother, Robert, her sister, Violet Touch and her grandson, Bryan Bulgarelli.