Obituary of Mary Agnes Soukup

Mary Agnes Brack Soukup, 96, formerly of 1849 B Street, Iowa City, died Monday Oct. 16, 2006, in the arms of her granddaughter, Amy Eckrich, at Crestview Nursing & Rehab Center in West Branch, where she had resided since August 2000. Funeral Mass: 10 a.m. Thursday, St Mary’s Catholic Church, Iowa City, by the Rev. Kenneth Kuntz. Burial: St Joseph, Iowa City. Visitation: 3 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service in Iowa City where a parish rosary will be said at 7 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorials donations can be made for Mercy Lifeline in care of Mercy Hospital Foundation or to Crestview Nursing and Rehab in West Branch. Online condolences may be sent for Mary thru the website at www.gayandciha.com. Mary was born April 7, 1910 in rural Johnson County, Iowa, the fifth of twelve children, to Anton Leonard “Tony” and Anastasia Geneva “Anna” Corbett Brack. The family lived in the Cosgrove and Oxford areas where she attended school at Cosgrove through the eighth grade. In her youth she enjoyed attending dances, where she met her future husband Paul James Soukup, of Iowa City. They married June 25, 1935 at St Mary’s, Iowa City and the following year purchased their home at 1849 B. Street. They worked hard to keep their home during tough times. Mary worked at the Johnson County Creamery, Wayners Jewelry Store, Iowa State Bank and cleaned houses along with her mother. She was proud to be hired by Owens Brush, the forerunner of Oral B laboratories, when the plant opened in Iowa City in 1958, working in the filament department. Following her retirement in June 1974, she worked part time at The Coloring Book at Sycamore Mall and later volunteered at Mercy Hospital where she logged over 1,500 hours. She proudly maintained the family home until ill health forced her to move to Crestview in 2000. Mary was nearly a life long member of St Mary’s. She enjoyed a good fried chicken dinner, a joke or laughter and was a devoted fan of Lawrence Welk. Family was the overriding theme in Mary’s life: a family get together or a visit from a sister or brother, niece or nephew or cousin was a highlight. Mary and her siblings were known to deflect hard times with humor and poise. They maintained contact over the miles and the years, resilient to loss and challenges in their lives. And they aided each other when needed. Those left behind to cherish Mary’s memory include her son Daryl and his wife Kathy of Arlington, TX; her daughter Dawn and her husband John “Beav” Eckrich of Iowa City; her granddaughters Michelle Soukup of Arlington, TX and Amy Jo Eckrich of Iowa City; her brother LaVerle “Curley” Brack and his wife Vera of Mankato, MN; sisters-in-law Mary (James) Brack of Iowa City and Phyllis (LaVerne “Blackie”) Brack of Iowa City; Many nieces including her goddaughters Victorine Spratt of Mapleton, OR and Carol Brack of Casper, WY; and many nephews, cousins and friends. Mary was preceded in death by her husband Paul on June 23, 1968; her parents; her sisters Baby C. A. Brack, Cecelia Edwards, Luella Spratt, Bernadine Brock and Catherine Brown; her brothers Leonard, Clement “Tony”, James, Lorain “Tony”, and LaVerne “Blackie”; her grandparents Peter and Catherine Kasper Brack and Daniel Jr and Ellen Powers Corbett; a sister-in-law special in her heart, Emma Soukup Kubicek Dimity and several nieces and nephews. Mary’s family extends a heartfelt appreciation to Dr. Nyle Kaufman and Dr. Thomas Novak for their skilled medical care. We are deeply indebted to the staff of Crestview Nursing and Rehab Center for the attentive and tender loving care given to Mary. We will never forget your kindness.