Molony, Delphine E. “Gussie” (1924 - 2014)

MOLONY, WIIG, KAUFMAN, WILKE, ZIMMER, FREUND

Posted By: Denise Wurner (email)
Date: 4/18/2014 at 13:26:52

Name of deceased: Delphine Estelle "Gussie" Molony

Aged: 89 yrs, 5 mo, 18 days

Residence: Elm Crest Retirement Home, Harlan, IA

Born: Oct. 11, 1924, Buck Grove, IA

Died: March 29, 2014, Elm Crest Retirement Home, Harlan, IA

Funeral services: Mass of Christian Burial: Friday April 4, 2014, St. Michael's Catholic Church, Harlan, IA; Burial was in the Harlan Cemetery, Harlan, IA

Survived by: Children, Julienne (spouse, Gene) Wiig of Kirkman, IA, Keith (spouse, Cindi) Kaufman of Harlan, IA, and Kevin (spouse, Janet) Kaufman of Walton, KY; grandchildren, Rodney, Jr., Amanda, Jared, Kaizer, Kassie, Colby, Jacqueline, and Emily; great-grandson, Caydon; other family members

Predeceased by: Mother, Ida (nee Wilke) Zimmer; father, John Zimmer; husbands, August Kaufman and Joe Molony; son, John Kaufman; sisters, Marie Freund and Helen Freund; brothers, Arthur Zimmer and John "Bud" Zimmer

Education: attended country school in Buck Grove, IA; graduated from St. Joseph's Catholic High School, Neola, IA.

Religious affiliation: baptized and confirmed at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Earling, IA

Military service: n/a

Marriages: (1) August Kaufman; 1944; location not provided (2) Joe Molony, Feb. 22, 1978; Las Vegas, NV

Employment: She began working as a waitress and bartender at the Evergreen Inn in Harlan, gaining the experience needed to become a business owner. She owned and operated the Chicken Hut Restaurant for 12 years before selling that business. She then owned and managed Gussie's Place in Harlan with her husband, Joe Molony; she sold Gussie's Place in 1999 and worked part-time for her son, Keith, who owned the Westside. Gussie was the first woman ever elected President of the Iowa Beverage Association.

Hobbies/Interests: Gussie loved nature and all the activities that go with it: she enjoyed trap shooting and went hunting for deer, quail, pheasants, and turkeys; she loved to fish for catfish in the Nishnabotna and Missouri Rivers, and made a special fishing trip to Alaska. Other travels took her to Rome, Egypt, Hawaii, Rio, and Spain; she went shopping in New York City and attended the Kentucky Derby. She liked to ride her own quarter horse and rode in the Sidney, IA Rodeo. Pocket billiards was another of her favorite past times and in addition to playing, she would travel with her son Keith to various tournaments.

Sources: harlanonline.com; kjan.com; burmeisterjohannsen.com