JIRAK, Rose Marie 1908-2000

VOYEK, KINKOR, JIRAK, BOUSKA, NOVAK, CHYLE

Posted By: IAGenWeb Volunteer
Date: 8/26/2010 at 16:18:35

Decorah Journal, Thursday, Dec. 14, 2000

Rose Jirak

Rose Jirak, 92, of Jackson Junction, died on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2000 at the Barthell Eastern Star Home in Decorah following a lengthy illness.

A Mass of Christian Burial was held on Wednesday, Dec. 13 at St. John's Catholic Church in Fort Atkinson.

Rev. John Moser officiated the 11 a.m. service. Music was provided by organist Alan Sensor, soloist Dan Silacek, and St John's Choir.

Casket bearers were Tom Jirak, Amy Ries, Sarah Jirak, Peter Jirak, Bill Hurd and Mae Schmitt.

Honorary casket bearers were Viola Pitzenberger and Collette Raush.

Interment was at St. John's Catholic Cemetery. Chekal Funeral Home of Fort Atkinson handled arrangements.

Rose Marie Jirak was born near Spillville, the youngest daughter of Mathias and Rosa (Voyek) Kinkor on April 9, l908. She had four brothers and four sisters.

On August 23, l938 she was married to Cyrill W. Jirak, son of Lewis and Anna (Pouska) Jirak.

They farmed on the Jirak farm, which Cyrill Jirak named the Rosebud Farm, located one mile west of Jackson Junction.

The Jiraks were parents of one son, Thomas Lewis.

In addition to farming, Cyrill Jirak served as Postmaster at Jackson Junction from Jan. 31, 1957 until his death on Feb. 1, 1959.

On August 31, 1959, Rose Jirak received her appointment as Postmaster and served in this capacity until her retirement on April 28, 1978. She was the owner of a country store and gift shop for 33 years; and was the Jackson Junction news correspondent for 10 years.

A member, of St. John's Catholic Church in Fort Atkinson, Rose was also a member of the National League of Postmasters, the National Association of Retired Federal Employees, Jolly Old Timers of Waucoma, the Winneshiek County Historical Society, and was a charter member of the Jackson Homemakers Club.

On July 5, 1996, she became a resident of the Barthell Eastern Star Home in Decorah.

Surviving Rose Jirak are her son, Tom and Helen Jirak of Plymouth, Minn.; three grandchildren, Amy and Kenneth Ries, Sarah Jirak and Peter Jirak; three great-grandchildren, Elisabeth, Rebekah and Isaac Ries.

Rose Marie Jirak was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Cyrill Jirak in 1959, four brothers, Joseph, Frank, Mike and Clarence Kinkor, and four sisters, Marie Bouska Novak, Frances Chyle, Lillian Kinkor and Lucy Kinkor.

Transcribed by an IA GenWeb Volunteer from obituaries found in the Howard-Winneshiek Genealogy Society Library, Cresco, Iowa.