Clara Lukas

Clara Lukas, age 105 of Calmar, Iowa, the oldest resident of Winneshiek County, died on Monday, October 3, 2005 at the Ossian Senior Hospice in Ossian, Iowa following a long illness. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, October 6, 2005 at St. Aloysius Catholic Church in Calmar, Iowa with Rev. Donald Hawes officiating. Burial will be in St. Wenceslaus Catholic Cemetery, Spillville, Iowa. Friends may call from 3:00-8:00 p.m. on Wednesday at the Schluter – Balik Funeral Home, French Chapel in Calmar, Iowa. There will be a rosary at 4:00 p.m. and a scripture service at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday evening. Friends may also call after 10:00 a.m. at the church on Thursday morning. Clara (Soukup) Lukas was born on March 18, 1900 the daughter of Joseph and Rose (Marovetz) Soukup in Spillville, Iowa. Clara went to school in Spillville and then moved to the farm near Ridgeway. She married Lewis Lukas on Sept. 14, 1919 at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church in Spillville. Together they farmed for many years and then moved to a farm near Protivin from 1949-54 and then moved into Calmar in 1954. Clara then worked Buchheit Produce from 1955-65. She enjoyed baking kolaches and pies, playing “500” and doing the lost art of tatting. Clara was a member of St. Aloysius Catholic Church. Clara’s survivors include her three daughters: Jeanette Sandling, LaJolla, CA; Grace Polansky, Portland, OR and LaVina Rilling, LaMesa, CA. One son: Lester (Alice) Lukas, Calmar, IA. Eight grandchildren, twelve great grandchildren and two great great grandchildren. Clara was preceded in death by her parents; her husband: Lewis in 1957; two sisters: Pauline Bily and Regina Soukup; and one brother: Joseph Soukup.