Marie Cecelia Strozdas 1922 - 2014

STROZDAS, HERAL, MECKENIS

Posted By: Connie Swearingen-Volunteer (email)
Date: 4/12/2014 at 19:23:51

Sioux City Journal
9 April 2014

SIOUX CITY | Marie Cecelia Strozdas, 92, of Sioux City died Sunday, April 6, 2014, at Sunrise Retirement Community.

Services will be 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, with the Rev. Armand Bertrand officiating. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery. Visitation will be 4 to 8 p.m. today, with the family present 5 to 8 p.m., a rosary recited at 6:30 p.m. and a vigil service at 7 p.m., at Meyer Brothers Morningside Chapel. Condolences may be sent at www.meyerbroschapels.com.

Marie was born on March 16, 1922, in Sioux City, to Michael and Mary (Heral) Meckenis. She attended St. Francis Catholic Elementary School, East Junior High School and East High School.

In 1941, she married Elmer Smith. She later married Peter "Pete" Strozdas on Aug. 27, 1949, in Sioux City. He died on June 22, 1989. She assisted her husband in the family business, Precision Dental Lab. Later, she worked at Benson Quinn Grain Exchange for 10 years.

Marie enjoyed family, friends and neighbors, providing a welcoming space for everyone at holidays, and a gathering spot on warm summer evenings around the picnic table. Her homemade bread, pies and other baked goods accompanied a pot of coffee that was always on. Marie loved the outdoors, gardening, boating and walking. She participated in activities at the Senior Center.

Marie was a member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. In earlier years, she was a longtime member of St. Casimir Catholic Church and its Rosary Society. She was a devout Catholic with a deep faith. She had a moral fiber that was achieved by few and that she passed on to her children. She was an inspiration to all who knew her. We will be forever in her debt.

Survivors include seven children, Dennis (Jackie) Smith of Sioux City, Sandy (Dean) Shroll of Sergeant Bluff, Cheryl (Rodney) Limoges of Sioux Falls, S.D., Linda Strozdas of Chicago, Ill., Renee (David) Wright of Dubuque, Iowa, Constance Johnson of Sioux Falls, and Mary Ann (Lee) Hix of Phoenix, Ariz.; 24 grandchildren; and 16 great-grandchildren.

She is preceded in death by her husband; her parents; a daughter, Mary Smith; two sons, Robert Strozdas in infancy, and Rodney Strozdas; two brothers, Ted and John Meckenis; and a granddaughter, Melissa Strozdas.

Pallbearers will be her grandsons and honorary pallbearers will be her granddaughters.

Memorials may be made in her name to Trinity Heights or a charity of your choice.