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Rabbi Elijah Ezekiel Zeke Palnick
Born: January 01, 1935
Died: March 04, 2005
Services: 2:00 pm Tuesday March 8, 2004 Agudas Achim Congregation Iowa City, Iowa
Visitation: ** It is tradition within the Jewish funeral custom to not have music or flowers at a funeral. The funeral is a simple and dignified service. Friends of the family who are not Jewish are welcome to attend the funeral service as well as the burial.
Rabbi Elijah Ezekiel Zeke Palnick, a leading figure of the civil
rights era in Little Rock, Arkansas, died Friday. He was 70. Rabbi Palnick, spiritual leader of Temple B'nai Israel for 23 years, helped integrate the city's civic clubs in the 1960s and welcomed blacks to attend services at the temple. He was president of the Arkansas Council on Human Relations, and a member of the board of the Pulaski County United Fund, the state Arts and Humanities Council, and the Governor's Council on Human Relations. In 1982, he was awarded the Humanitarian Award by the Arkansas unit of the National Conference of Christians and Jews. He was a leader in the formation of the Arkansas Conferences of Churches and Synagogues and was a member of its predecessor organization, the Religious Roundtable and the Advisory Council of the Arkansas Conference of Churches and Synagogues. Rabbi Palnick’s involvement with the civil right’s movement is highlighted in The Quiet Voices. Southern Rabbis and Black Civil Rights, 1880s to 1990s. Mark Bauman and Berkley Kalin, Ed.
Rabbi Palnick was born
in 1935 in Montreal, Canada, to Lazar Isar Palnick and Chaya Marie Rosenfeld Palnick. He attended McGill University in Montreal, graduated from Mount Allison University, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and was ordained from the Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1959. He received a doctorate of theology degree from Burton Seminary and a doctor of philosophy degree from the Hebrew Union College. He served congregations in Miami Beach and Tuscaloosa, Alabama, before moving to Little Rock in 1963. He moved
to Albany, Georgia, in 1986, where he served at Temple B'nai Israel as Rabbi until 1999 and as Rabbi Emeritus until the time of his death. Rabbi Palnick revitalized the Jewish community in Albany and led the congregation through a time of transition, which included the construction of a new synagogue. He was also very active in civil rights affairs in Southwest Georgia. Rabbi Palnick served on many committees and associations and was highly respected by congregants of all faiths. He also served as president of the Association of Ministers in Albany.
After retiring in 1999, Rabbi Palnick and his wife, Irene, moved to Iowa City, Iowa. He was an active grandparent, attending events at Longfellow Elementary School and Southeast Junior High School. He enjoyed attending and actively participating in discussions at the Iowa City Foreign Relations Council Luncheon. Rabbi Palnick also enjoyed serving as chaplain for the Philmount Scout Ranch in New Mexico, which he did continuously since 1964.
He is survived by his loving wife Irene Melton Palnick; son Lazar M. Palnick and daughter-in-law Susanne Gollin; daughter Rachelle Palnick Tsachor and son-in-law Uriel Tsachor; grandchildren, Oren Tsachor, Jacob Palnick and Doron Tsachor; sister Ena Palnick and numerous uncles, aunts, cousins, nieces and nephews.
Funeral services for Rabbi Palnick will be held at Agudas Achim Congregation in Iowa City, Iowa, on Tuesday, March 8, at 2 PM. Interment will follow at Agudas Achim Cemetery. The family will identify a charity at a later date for donations in lieu of flowers.
Robert E. Cowell
Born: June 18, 1921
Died: December 18, 2004
Services: Funeral Services will be held Wednesday, December 22, 2004 at 10 a.m. at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, on the corner of Court St. and First Avenue, where Bob spent 18 years as the crossing guard at Hoover Elementary School. Reverend Tim Zimmerman will be officiating the ceremony. A reception in the church hall will follow the service. Graveside services with military honors provided by local military organizations will be held at 12 p.m., Noon at Oakland Cemetery.
Visitation: Friends may call Tuesday from 4 to 8 p.m. at Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service, Iowa City. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Robert E. Cowell Memorial Fund in care of Iowa State Bank, donations will be used to benefit the children at Hoover Elementary School.
Robert E. Cowell, 83, of Iowa City died Saturday, December 18, 2004 at University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics following a brief illness.
Bob was born
June 18, 1921 in Eldora, Iowa the son of John Henry and Alice Lenore (Quigley) Cowell. Robert and V. Myldred Sexton were married on July 19, 1942; she died on May 2, 1993. On June 18, 1994 he married Arlene Armbruster in Riverside, IA.
Bob served as a Tech Sergeant in the Army during WWII. Bob received his BS from Iowa State University, his MS from the University of Illinois and his Ph.D. from Purdue University. He was an agronomist for Northrup King for 30 years. He was an invited speaker throughout the world on development of alfalfa varieties.
Bob was a member of the Sharon Center Masonic Lodge and was a 45 year member of the American Legion.
Bob is survived by his wife Arlene; three children Robert (Linda) A. Cowell of Bartlett, TN and their children Derrick, Brandon, Austin; Richard (Sue) D. Cowell of Iowa City and their children Matthew, Amanda, Kristopher; Barbara (Tom) Redling of Lebanon, OR and their children Chris and Sarah; three step children Janet Major of Iowa City and her children Ryan and Chris; Joanne Armbruster of Iowa City; Jim Armbruster of West Branch and his children Danielle and Josh; four great-grandchildren with a fifth expected; and a sister Lorraine (Cowell) Beech of Bella Vista, CA.
Bob was preceded in death by his parents.
Leo R. 'Bob' Shonka
Born: November 23, 1924
Died: December 16, 2004
Services: A private family graveside service will be held at Memory Gardens Cemetery.
Visitation: Visitation will be on Sunday from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m at Lensing Funeral Service 605 Kirkwood Ave. Iowa City. In lieu of flowers memorials may be directed to Iowa City Hospice.
Leo R. “Bob” Shonka, 80, of Iowa City died Thursday, December 16, 2004 at Solon Care Center.
Leo Robert Shonka was born
November 23, 1924 the son of Leo W. and Edith E. (Stoner) Shonka in Iowa City, Iowa. He served in the United States Navy during World War II. Following his service in the military he married Kathryn Arnold on July 15, 1950 in Iowa City, Iowa. For 39 years Bob worked at the University of Iowa Physical Plant, retiring as the Manager of the Sheet Metal Welder Shop in 1986.
He is survived by his son, William Shonka and his wife Marsha and their children, Kristy and Adam all of Keokuk, Iowa. He is also survived by his sister, Betty Lepic of Iowa City, Iowa.
Beatrice Toomey
Born: December 31, 1922
Died: December 15, 2004
Services: Funeral Mass will be held Monday December 20, 2004 10:00 am at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Iowa City with the very Reverend Rudolph Juarez will be officiating. Burial will be at St. Joseph Cemetery, Iowa City.
Visitation: Friends may call from 4-7 pm on Sunday December 19, 2004 at Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service 605 Kirkwood Ave. A rosary will be held at 4:00 pm. A memorial fund has been established.
Beatrice Toomey, 81, of 1409 Keokuk Street in Iowa City, died Wednesday, December 15, 2004 at her home of cancer.
Beatrice was born
December 31, 1922 in Church Hill, Tennessee the daughter of Garland and Mary (Lauderback) Hart. After graduating from Johnson City Business College, she was employed during WWII by the War Department in Washington, D.C. After three months of training she was transferred to Newark, NJ as a Special Reviewer under Brig. Gen. Gilbert’s Office of Dependency Benefits. It was there she met her husband, First Lt. J. Newman Toomey of Iowa City. They were married April 20, 1945 in East Orange, NJ. Beatrice lived in Iowa City with her husband, Attorney J. Newman Toomey (deceased 1979) from 1945 until her death.
Beatrice was employed by the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics as a secretary for Nuclear Medicine in 1964. She later transferred to WSUI/KSUI University Broadcasting, where she worked until she retired. For several years she had the agency in Iowa City for three newspapers, Chicago Tribune, Quad City Times and the Wall Street Journal. After retirement, she worked part-time for the Iowa City Press-Citizen delivering and collecting for the USA Today newspaper.
Beatrice enjoyed playing bridge and bowling. She always went to state and national bowling tournaments until bone cancer caused her to lose her left leg. Her battle with cancer has been going on for over seven years. For the past several years, bingo has been her only recreation.
Beatrice is survived by her six children: Terence of Iowa City; Colleen Nash and her husband Bill of Cedar Rapids; Timothy and his wife Ruth of Iowa City; Kevin of Kinross, IA and former wife Denese Toomey of Solon, IA and Patrick of Iowa City; Teresa Fisher and her husband Eugene of Iowa City. Eight grandchildren: Nicole, Micah, William, Shannon, Byron, Bridget, Daniel and Alex. One sister Amanda Cradic of Kingsport, TN currently living in Iowa City with Beatrice.
Beatrice was preceded in death by her parents, her husband and one brother Herman Hart.
Lilian Moonsammy
Born: January 27, 1939
Died: December 12, 2004
Services: Funeral Services will be held Thursday, December 16 at 11:00 a.m. at Christ the King Lutheran Church with Reverend David Aanonson officiating.
Visitation: Friends and family may call on Wednesday, December 15 from 2:00-7:00 p.m. at Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service, 605 Kirkwood Ave, Iowa City. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to The American Diabetes Association.
Lilian Chandroutie Moonsammy, 65, of Iowa City died unexpectedly Sunday, December 12, 2004 at Mercy Hospital.
Lilian was born
January 27, 1939 the daughter of Ramgobin and Ramdai (Sookhan) Cheddie. She was baptized and confirmed at St. Mary’s Lutheran Church in 1952 in Georgetown, Guyana. She attended St. James The Less Anglican School and Tutorial High School in Georgetown, Guyana. Lilian married Albert Gerald Moonsammy on June 27, 1964 at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Georgetown, Guyana.
Lilian immigrated with her family to the United States in 1978. She joined Mercy Hospital of Iowa City in 1988, making her career in the Human Resources Department. Lilian was very involved in doing charitable work for the American Diabetes Association.
Lilian was a wonderful mother, wife and dear friend. She was a phenomenal cook and she enjoyed reading and gardening. Lilian always extended herself beyond the call of duty to assist others. She was warm and nurturing, a gentle and kind person who touched the lives of others with her grace and genuine love.
Lilian is survived by her husband Albert of Iowa City, daughter Andrea Moonsammy and her husband Bruce Boynick of Chicago, son Christopher and his fiancé Lenny Rice of Napa Valley, CA and many loving relatives.
Lilian was preceded in death by her parents and dear aunt, Didi.
Clara Emma Martha Wilkin
Born: September 03, 1909
Died: December 11, 2004
Services: A Celebration of Life will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 18 at Zion Lutheran Church in Rockford, Iowa with Pastor Patricia Shaw officiating. Interment will be in Riverside Cemetery in Rockford.
Visitation: Visitation will be held from 12:00-1:00 p.m. at the church. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Zion Lutheran Church of Rockford.
Clara Emma Martha Wilkin, 95, of Coralville died Saturday, December 11, 2004 at Lantern Park Nursing & Rehabilitation Center.
Clara was born
September 3, 1909 the daughter of Martha (Schmolke) Willert and Emil August Willert of Oster Township, east of Rockford, Iowa. Clara attended the Normal State Teachers College in Cedar Falls, Iowa where she received her teaching certificate. She taught country school in Floyd and Cerro Gordo counties. On November 2, 1940 she was united in marriage to Everett Malcolm Wilkin.
Clara was a member of Zion Lutheran Church. Her love of teaching continued as she taught Sunday School and confirmation classes and served as Superintendent of Sunday School for many years. She held numerous offices in church organizations, especially Zion Lutheran Church Afternoon Guild in which she served as president, secretary and treasurer, rotating among those offices for many years. She also served as church custodian. Clara will also be remembered for the care she provided to many children in the community. One memory that has meant so much to her throughout the years was the youth of the church painting her home.
In 1980 she moved to Coralville to live with her daughter Connie and son-in-law Richard. During this time she was blessed with two grandchildren, Sara and Eric, for whom she provided loving care.
Her hobbies included reading, cooking, gardening, music, quilting, watching basketball games and visiting with friends. Many community members have enjoyed eating the noodles she made and/or the quilts she made.
Those grateful for having had the privilege of sharing Clara’s life are her daughter Connie Bingham and her husband Richard; her grandchildren Sara and Eric; her grandson-in-law Nick Shepherd; her nieces Joan Moody, Janet (Don) Arndt, Jeane (Arnold) Flessner, and other relatives and friends left to cherish her memory.
Clara was preceded in death by her husband Everett; her parents, her brother Earl Willert and three half-daughters, Ambrosia, Winifred and Yolande.
The family wishes to thank the compassionate staff of Lantern Park Nursing & Rehabilitation Center and Iowa City Hospice. Clara will be sorely missed by her family and friends.
William 'Bill' Olesen
Born: September 10, 1954
Died: December 09, 2004
Services: Funeral services will be held on Monday, at 11:00 a.m., at Coralville United Methodist Church 806 13th Ave. with the Rev. Doug Williams officiating.
Visitation: Visitation will be on Sunday from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Lensing’s OakHill-Coralville. In lieu of flowers memorials may be directed to the William Olesen Memorial Fund.
William “Bill” Olesen, 50, of North Liberty died Thursday, December 9, 2004 at Mercy Hospital following a sudden illness.
William was born
September 10, 1954 in Agana, Guam the son of Donald James and Dorothy Ann (Sturgeons) Olesen. On August 22, 1980 he married Cynthia Tritt. On December 17, 1988 he married Ann (Elder). Bill worked as the Deli Manager at Holiday Foods in North Liberty, Iowa and previously worked at the Highlander Inn. He had strong community involvement, especially with the United Methodist Church and he served as past president of the North Liberty Optimist Club.
He is survived by his wife Ann of North Liberty, Iowa, his three children, Nickolaus Olesen and his wife Chris of Neenah, Wisconsin, and Simon and Emily Olesen both of North Liberty, Iowa. He is survived by his mother, Dorothy Olesen of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, his sisters, Sandra Olesen Brown of Lakefield, Minnesota, Jeanna Olesen of Oshkosh, Wisconsin and his recently reunited biological sister, Joni Wilson of Boston. Bill is also survived by many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his father.
Lane Sheffield
Born: March 30, 1962
Died: December 09, 2004
Services: A memorial service will be held at a later date.
Visitation: In lieu of flowers memorials may be directed to Kid-Needs of Iowa City, Iowa
Lane Cowley Sheffield, 42, of Iowa City died Thursday, December 9, 2004 at University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics following an illness.
Lane was born
March 30, 1962 in Salt Lake City, Utah the son of Val Jolley and Jewell (Cowley) Sheffield. He grew up in Glendale, CA. He was a self-employed computer specialist. He was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints. Lane could fix anything. Everyone loved his gentleness and his sense of humor.
Lane is survived by his father of Bountiful, Utah, his two brothers Val C. Sheffield of Iowa City and Matthew C. Sheffield of Glendale, CA and sister, Karen Sheffield Morgan of Provo, Utah and all of their families.
Lane was preceded in death by his mother.
