HOLCOMB, Rachel J. (Gould) 1926-2016

HOLCOMB, GOULD, STULL

Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 9/30/2016 at 12:45:49

Rachel J. Holcomb

Died September 29, 2016

Rachel J. Holcomb, 89, of Osage, died Thursday, September 29, 2016, at the home of her son in Arnolds Park, Iowa, after a brief illness.

Services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, October 5, 2016, at the First United Methodist Church in Osage, Iowa, with Pastor Julie Schubert officiating. Burial will be in the Osage Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Tuesday at the Champion-Bucheit Funeral Home in Osage.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the Osage Public Library.

Rachel was born October 7, 1926, to Robert and Arminta (Stull) Gould on the family farm south of Birmingham, Iowa. She was raised on that farm and graduated from Birmingham High School in 1943. Rachel then attended the University of Iowa, graduating with a degree in Commerce in May of 1947.

While in Iowa City, she met and married Sam Holcomb and together they celebrated 69 years of marriage. They moved to Osage in 1948, began raising a family and working as partners at The Daylight Store. They purchased and later expanded the business to include The Annex before retiring in 1988.

Rachel was fiercely loyal to her family and friends. She was a busy scout leader and band mother for her children. She attended as many school and church activities of her children and grandchildren as possible. Family asked for many of her recipes including her potato salad, baked chicken dish, and her crème de menthe ice cream dessert she always served at Christmas. Her grandchildren will fondly remember many games of chickenfoot played at the dining room table.

Rachel was a member of the United Methodist Church and numerous civic clubs.

After retirement, Rachel and Sam wintered in Mesa, Arizona for 23 years where she enjoyed her snowbird friends, potlucks and bingo night. Rachel also enjoyed playing cards, belonging to several card clubs with one of them meeting for over 50 years. She loved camping with the family, traveling out west and reading. She collected hundreds of recipes and cookbooks and enjoyed checking out flea markets and antique shops.

Rachel is survived by her husband, Sam Holcomb of Osage; children, Larry Holcomb of Okoboji, Iowa, Kathy (Dwight) Jones of Rochester, Minnesota, Steve Holcomb of Arnolds Park, Iowa, and Ron (Lee) Holcomb of West Des Moines, Iowa; grandchildren, Matt Jones, Hannah Jones, Eric Holcomb, Natalie (Holcomb) Anderson and Aly Kudron and numerous great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, and siblings, Maurice Gould, Marjorie Gould and Ruth Beebe, and one grandchild, John Kudron.

Champion-Bucheit Funeral Home, Osage (641) 732-3706

Source: Champion-Bucheit Funeral Home website
Also see: Mason City Globe Gazette 1 OCT 2016

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NOTE: Her husband, Sam, died in August 2017. See his obituary in this "Obits Board" database.