Lucile H. (Dreier) Duitscher (1922-2014)
DUITSCHER, DREIER, HORACEK, PRILL, BENDA, WHITE, HOLZER, HENNING
Posted By: Mark Christian
Date: 9/26/2014 at 20:22:52
Obituary From Adams Soderstrum Funeral Home, Story County, Iowa.
Obituary for Lucile H. Duitscher
Lucy Duitscher, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, servant of God and loyal Democrat, was born on March 7, 1922 to William and Ruth Dreier in Iowa Falls, Iowa. Lucy grew up on the family farm in Hardin County. Once school age, she walked through the timber to the Dean Country School. Lucy also walked two miles through pasture and timber and then rode a home-crafted school bus to the New Providence High School. She continued her education at Iowa State College where she met her husband, Wendell "Dutch" Duitscher. They married in 1942 and began farming near Clarion.
While raising her family, Lucy was active at the First United Methodist Church in Clarion and the Women’s Society of Christian Service. Lucy was a lay person and was involved in many of the church's activities. She attended the International Bishops Holy Spirit Conference in Utrecht, Holland and received the WSCS Lifetime Membership Award from the Clarion and Collegiate United Methodist Church.
Her husband, Dutch, died in 1968 while serving as Wright County Supervisor. Lucy was elected in a special election in 1969 to the State House of Representatives. She was also elected co-chair of the Third District Democrats and served on the State Central Committee when the caucus system was adopted.
Over the years Lucy was involved in many community activities – founding board member of the Clarion Senior Center and Meals On Wheels, Title XX Committee, North Iowa Mental Health Committees, Wright County Extension Service Family Living Committee, Iowa State Extension Advisory Committee, and she also represented Wright County on the district and state level when she was on the Social Services Advisory Committee.
While Lucy was President of Schizophrenia Association of Iowa, Dr. Nancy Andreasen, Professor of Psychiatry at Iowa State University, spoke to the group revealing research proving mental illness was a disease of the brain. At the time, many blamed bad parenting as the cause of schizophrenia. Through the work of SA of Iowa and others, patients housed in county homes were moved to supervised group homes, treated with new medical treatments and treated with respect. NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness of Iowa) grew out of SA of Iowa, starting with a few counties and growing to many.
Lucy was passionate about her work, "I believe in involvement and want to work toward solutions to the problems we face as a society."
Lucy passed away at 92 years of age on September 13, 2014, at Mary Greeley Israel Family Hospice House, surrounded by her family.
Lucy is survived by her daughter, Wendy Horacek, of Lincoln, Nebraska and her daughters Connie (Mark) Prill, of Plano, Texas and their children, Alex and Caitlyn and Cindy (Brad) Benda, of Lincoln, and their daughters, Allison and Alexa, her daughter, Elizabeth (Richard) White, of Ames and her children, Dawn Holzer, of New Hope, Minnesota and her son, DJ, and Michael (Erin) Holzer, of Maple Grove, Minnesota, her son, John (Debbie) Duitscher, of Mason City, Illinois and his sons, Daniel Duitscher, of Champaign, Illinois and Paul Duitscher, of Lincoln, Illinois, and her daughter, Nancy Duitscher, of Clarion; and thirty-three nephews and nieces.
She was preceded in death by her parents, William and Ruth Dreier; her husband, Wendell (Dutch) Duitscher; her son, William; her granddaughter, Barbara; and her siblings, William Dreier, Robert Dreier, Elizabeth Henning and Walter Dreier.
Lucy was our role model, mentor and the #1 Cheerleader of the children and grandchildren. We will miss her dearly and the example she set will stay with us forever.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be designated to Collegiate United Methodist Church, 2622 Lincoln Way, Ames, IA 50010 or NAMI – IOWA, 5911 Meredith Drive, Ste E, Des Moines, IA 50322-1903
SEP 20 Memorial Service 11:00AM
Collegiate United Methodist Church
2622 Lincoln Way
Ames, IA, US, 50014SEP 20 Graveside Service 05:00PM
Clarion Evergreen Cemetery
2350 220th St.
Clarion, IA, US, 50525
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Story Obituaries maintained by Mark Christian.
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