Obituary of Irene A Shima

Irene A. Shima, 81, of rural Solon died Friday, February 17, 2012, suddenly at her home. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, February 21, 2012, at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church in Iowa City, with burial to follow at St. Joseph Cemetery in Iowa City. Visitation will be from 3 to 7 pm Monday at Gay & Ciha Funeral Service where a parish rosary will be shared at 3pm. Memorial donations can be made in Irene's memory to Camp Courageous, Iowa City Hospice or the charity of the donor's choice. Online condolences may be sent for her family through the web @ www.gayandciha.com. Irene A. Novotny was born February 19, 1931, in rural Johnson County, Iowa the daughter of Charles and Agnes Novotny. She attended Big Grove Country School #5 near Solon, and she graduated from Solon High School with the class of 1948. On June 19, 1950, she was united in marriage to Glenn H. Shima. During the fifties she worked at Merchant's National Bank and Rockwell Collins in Cedar Rapids. Later she worked for Pepperidge Farm, A.C.T., and for many years the City of Iowa City where she retired in August, 1996. Through all these years she was also Glenn's right hand man on their farm! She and Glenn enjoyed life; they loved traveling with family and friends, having gone to many different destinations including Hawaii and Alaska, and were frequent visitors with the Princess Cruise lines (11 cruises to be exact). She loved spending time with their friends, playing the marble game and dominos, and trying to keep up with the granddaughters activities both at Solon High School and in college at the University of Iowa and the University of Northern Iowa. She was a member of St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church, National Catholic Society of Foresters, The Catholic Order of Foresters, Solon American Legion Auxiliary, and she loved tooling around with the Classy Chassy Cruisers! Her family includes her husband of sixty-one years, Glenn; two daughters and their husbands, Kayleen and Mike Gardner; and Connie and Dick Friedl all of Solon; two granddaughters, Emily and Kelly Friedl; a sister, Alma Funk of Iowa City and a brother, Raymond Novotny of Center Point, Iowa. She was preceded in death by her parents, and a sister-in-law, Betty Shima.