Maryann Kloewer
June 25, 1931 — December 9, 2016
Maryann E. Kloewer, daughter of William and Catherine (Overrmoehle) Tunink was born June 25, 1931 in Elgin, Nebraska. She was the youngest of eight children. Maryann attended and graduated from St. Boniface Catholic High School in 1949.
In the area she worked on Dwyer’s ranch and at Parr’s café in Elgin. She then moved to Chicago to help her sister Philomenia when she had her children. She lived in Chicago for 5 years and then moved to Defiance, Iowa with her sister Phil and her husband Al Wilwerding to help run the Corner Inn Café. It was in Defiance that she met Kloewer boys and fell in love with Joe.
Maryann and Joseph Peter Kloewer were married on April 4, 1956. They made their home in Defiance for the first two years of their marriage. Two children were born in Iowa, Laurie Ann and Steven Joseph. Joe and Maryann then moved to Fremont, Nebraska where Joe worked for the R.E. Reitzel Pipeline Construction Co. They traveled during the summers to wherever Joe was working during that time.
Maryann kept the home fires burning while Joe was away, she baked and decorated cakes for a living, she also enjoyed watching baseball, putting together puzzles and playing cards. Maryann was a member of the St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Fremont for 53 years. She was a member of the Alter Society and also a Communion Giver. After Joe’s death in 1972 she stayed in Fremont and had a wonderful wedding cake business for the next 20 years until she retired in 2010 due to arthritis. She enjoyed life, her friends and her occasional glass of Sherry.
After a serious fall in October of 2014 Maryann moved to Columbus, Nebraska where her daughter and son-in-law Derald could watch over her. About a year after moving in with Laurie and Derald, Maryann started crocheting and crocheted almost everyday. She made over 50 lap blankets and afghans and donated them the rehab facility, Nye Legacy where she recuperated after her fall. She said it was to keep the residents warm. Since Steve and Kim live in Des Moines they started meeting monthly a different places around Nebraska and Iowa to spend time together and enjoy good food and time with family. She was always excited when the visits came around...”where are we going this month?”
Maryann died on December 9, 2016 at her home in Columbus, Nebraska and is preceded in death by her husband Joseph; daughter Marybeth, who died in infancy; sisters Therisa, Philomenia, Betty; her brothers Tony, Jerry and Father Wilfred Tunink.
She is survived by her son Steve and Kim Kloewer of Lucas, Iowa; daughter Laurie and Derald Zavodky of Columbus, Nebraska; sister Loretta Zegers of Petersburg, Nebraska; brother-in-law Harold and Lois Kloewer of Moville, Iowa; sisters-in-law Donna Kloewer of Underwood, Iowa; Eileen and Donovan Thorell of Omaha, Nebraska and Mary Kloewer of Harlan, Iowa; many nieces and nephews; and friends.
In the area she worked on Dwyer’s ranch and at Parr’s café in Elgin. She then moved to Chicago to help her sister Philomenia when she had her children. She lived in Chicago for 5 years and then moved to Defiance, Iowa with her sister Phil and her husband Al Wilwerding to help run the Corner Inn Café. It was in Defiance that she met Kloewer boys and fell in love with Joe.
Maryann and Joseph Peter Kloewer were married on April 4, 1956. They made their home in Defiance for the first two years of their marriage. Two children were born in Iowa, Laurie Ann and Steven Joseph. Joe and Maryann then moved to Fremont, Nebraska where Joe worked for the R.E. Reitzel Pipeline Construction Co. They traveled during the summers to wherever Joe was working during that time.
Maryann kept the home fires burning while Joe was away, she baked and decorated cakes for a living, she also enjoyed watching baseball, putting together puzzles and playing cards. Maryann was a member of the St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Fremont for 53 years. She was a member of the Alter Society and also a Communion Giver. After Joe’s death in 1972 she stayed in Fremont and had a wonderful wedding cake business for the next 20 years until she retired in 2010 due to arthritis. She enjoyed life, her friends and her occasional glass of Sherry.
After a serious fall in October of 2014 Maryann moved to Columbus, Nebraska where her daughter and son-in-law Derald could watch over her. About a year after moving in with Laurie and Derald, Maryann started crocheting and crocheted almost everyday. She made over 50 lap blankets and afghans and donated them the rehab facility, Nye Legacy where she recuperated after her fall. She said it was to keep the residents warm. Since Steve and Kim live in Des Moines they started meeting monthly a different places around Nebraska and Iowa to spend time together and enjoy good food and time with family. She was always excited when the visits came around...”where are we going this month?”
Maryann died on December 9, 2016 at her home in Columbus, Nebraska and is preceded in death by her husband Joseph; daughter Marybeth, who died in infancy; sisters Therisa, Philomenia, Betty; her brothers Tony, Jerry and Father Wilfred Tunink.
She is survived by her son Steve and Kim Kloewer of Lucas, Iowa; daughter Laurie and Derald Zavodky of Columbus, Nebraska; sister Loretta Zegers of Petersburg, Nebraska; brother-in-law Harold and Lois Kloewer of Moville, Iowa; sisters-in-law Donna Kloewer of Underwood, Iowa; Eileen and Donovan Thorell of Omaha, Nebraska and Mary Kloewer of Harlan, Iowa; many nieces and nephews; and friends.
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