Olivia Schlee

Our dear mother, Olivia Schlee, 91, of Decorah, Iowa, died on Tuesday, July 18, 2006 at her home from a courageous battle with cancer. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, July 22, 2006, at St. Benedict’s Catholic Church, Decorah, Iowa, with Rev. Gary Krapfl officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Friends may call from 3:00-7:00 p.m. on Friday and until 10:00 a.m. Saturday morning at the Schluter – Balik Funeral Home in Decorah. There will be a Rosary at 4:00 and Scripture service at 5:00 p.m. Friday. Olivia, the daughter of Fred & Catherine (Moellers) Zweibohmer, was born on August 5, 1914, on a farm near Ossian, Iowa. Olivia attended country school and DeSales Catholic School. After completing the eighth grade, she worked as a “hired lady” in the Ossian area. On January 6, 1936, Olivia married the love of her life, Leonard Schlee, at the St. Frances DeSales Catholic Church. She often told the story of Leonard and her riding in a Model T that day traveling on the dirt road from Ossian to Decorah to have their picture taken. The driver lost control and they ended up in the ditch. She and Leonard farmed near Ossian for several years while raising a family of eight. In 1945, she & Leonard suffered the loss of twin daughters born several months prematurely. In 1954, they purchased a farm west of Mabel, MN. They farmed there until 1961 and then owned and operated Hi-Way Lanes in Postville, IA. In 1971, they returned to rural Decorah and in 1997 moved to Heivly Street in Decorah. Olivia was a woman of many talents. Besides caring for her eight children, she was actively engaged in helping Leonard with the daily farm activities. She also planted large gardens from which she spent countless hours baking, canning, freezing, making preserves and harvesting the fruits of her labors. We, her children, were the blessed recipients of all her delicious creations. We hardly knew what it was to eat anything other than a good “home-cooked” meal. She had that “special touch” and could make a meal of left-overs taste as good as any gourmet meal. She also spent many hours sewing fashionable clothes for her girls. Though she was a small lady, she had the heart of a giant. She had a fabulous sense of humor and her home was filled with lots of laughter. She embraced life and enjoyed being a Godly wife and mother. In later years, she enjoyed fishing with Leonard and her grandchildren, making puzzles, picking night crawlers and playing cards with her senior friends. Her passing will leave a void in all our hearts and homes. We find comfort in knowing she has joined Leonard, her twin daughters and many other relatives and friends. Olivia was a member of St. Benedict’s Catholic Church, the Rosary Society and the Catholic Daughter of America. Olivia is survived by: one son: John (Jean) Schlee, Postville, IA; seven daughters: Audrey Halverson, Juanita Halverson, Judy Bruening, Sharon Needles, all of Decorah, IA; Lois (Ken) Halvorson and Kathy Schierholz, both of Colorado Springs, CO; and Betty (Ervin) Kirchner, Bloomington, MN; twenty-two grandchildren and thirty-five great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews; two brothers: Ervin Zweibohmer, Ossian, IA, and Jerry Zweibohmer, Riverside, CA; two sisters-in-law: Loretta and Winifred Zweibohmer, both of Ossian, IA. Olivia is preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Leonard on March 26, 2002; twin daughters: Joan Catherine and Jane Carol; one great- granddaughter: Miranda Langreck; two sisters: Hilda (Joe) Powers and Rose (Leo) Becker; two brothers: Ray and Clarence Zweibohmer; one son-in-law: Wes Halverson and; one sister-in-law: Barb Zweibohmer. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions be made to Hospice of Winneshiek County, 901 Montgomery Street, Decorah, IA 52101.