Dawn O'Brien 1917 - 2005

OBRIEN, WEMMER

Posted By: Connie Swearingen -Volunteer (email)
Date: 1/22/2019 at 09:09:08

Sioux City Journal
15 January 2005

Dawn O'Brien, 87, of Sioux City died Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2005, at Holy Spirit Retirement Home.

Services will be 10 a.m. Monday at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, with the Rev. Allan Reicks officiating. Nurses of Mercy Medical Center will provide an honor guard at the funeral service. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery. Visitation will be 1 to 9 p.m. today, with the family present 6 to 8 p.m. and a parish vigil service at 7 p.m., at Larkin Northside Funeral Home.

Dawn was born Dec. 28, 1917, in Sioux City, the daughter of James J. and M. Beryl (Wemmer) O'Brien. She lived most of her life in Sioux City. She graduated from Central High School and from St. Joseph School of Nursing in 1939. She began her 40-year nursing career at St. Joseph Hospital and retired from Mercy Medical Center in 1982.

She was proud of her three years of service in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps during World War II. She received an honorable discharge in 1946. She returned to St. Joseph Hospital to serve as head nurse on "Third Main," the orthopedic floor.

Because of her pride in her Irish heritage, she loved St. Patrick's Day and began a yearly celebration on the floor where she worked. Both at St. Joseph Hospital and Mercy Medical Center, it became a well known event and many people each year would visit to enjoy the Irish decorations, memorabilia, refreshments and festivities.

She was a member of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church. She was blessed with talent as a writer. She wrote poetry as well as often moving accounts of her view of the world's events. She was drawn to seeing the funny side of life and her Irish wit and humor were hallmarks of many of the writings in her journals. The journals are treasured by her nieces and nephews, who love her stories about her experiences and escapades as an Army nurse and her views about happenings in the world around her.

She is survived by her sister, Claire O'Brien of Milwaukee, Wis.; a sister-in-law, Bevelyn O'Brien of Sioux City; two nephews, Don Kirchner of Sioux City and Jim and his wife, Kathy O'Brien of Chandler, Ariz.; great nephews and great nieces, Corey and Mindy Munson of Sioux City, Erin and Andy Klopstad of Keller, Texas, and Jill Kirchner and her fiance, Jason Nielsen, of Des Moines; great-great-nieces and great-great-nephews, Theresa, Ellen, Kelsey, Andrew, Taylor, Jordan, Grace Dawn and Sam; and her special friends, Marilyn Murphy and her family, Helen and Lennon Kelly and Colette Oberembt.

She was preceded in death by her brother, James William O'Brien.

Pallbearers will be Corey Munson, Don Kirchner, Jim O'Brien, Andy Klopstad, Jason Nielsen and Joe Twohig.

The family wishes to extend their gratitude to Dr. Aroon Kalakunja, the staff of Northern Hills Assisted Living, the nurses and personnel of Mercy Medical Center, Holy Spirit Retirement Home and Hospice of Siouxland. We thank them all for their compassionate care and expertise.

A final thought, "We love you and you will never be forgotten Auntie Dawn."

"Erin Go Bragh