Thelma Karkosh

Thelma Charlene Karkosh, 85, of Reinbeck, Iowa, died Sunday, May 3, 2009, at Westbrook Acres in Gladbrook, Iowa. Thelma Charlene Karkosh, age 85, of rural Hudson, Iowa passed away on Sunday, May 3, 2009, at Westbrook Nursing Home in Gladbrook, Iowa, where she had been living since November 2007. Thelma was born May 7, 1923, in Tama County, Iowa the daughter of Charley and Helen (Siemens) Kahler. She was raised in the Tama County area where she attended country school and then graduated from Traer High School in 1940. On January 12, 1944, she was united in marriage to Joseph Karkosh Sr. at the United Congregational Church of Christ in Waterloo. Together they lived on their farm south of Hudson until August 2007 when they moved to Westview Estates in Reinbeck. Thelma was a member of the United Church of Christ in Reinbeck and belonged to the Merry Makers Fellowship group. She was a member of the Clover Leaf Club of Hudson and served as president of the Lincoln Township Farm Bureau Homemaker's Club for several years. Thelma also enjoyed volunteering at the Hudson Elementary School through Farm Bureau's Ag in the Classroom program. She was actively involved through the Black Hawk County extension office and served as a 4-H leader for a local club. Thelma was a homemaker and mother. She and her husband Joe loved to garden and looked forward to planting and harvesting their garden each year. She took pride in her flowers and loved to share them with family. Her favorite holiday was Christmas and looked forward to the annual family get-together. Thelma collected Santa Claus figurines and a Dicken's Christmas Village, which she enjoyed setting up each Christmas. For several years, Thelma and her husband had an extensive holiday lighting display on their acreage and enjoyed watching all the cars that stopped by to view them. Thelma loved to plan day trips to visit many parks and particularly courthouses in Iowa. It always included a picnic lunch with friends and/or family. Thelma enjoyed going to Minnesota in the summer and spent a lot of time fishing. She loved her family and looked forward to spending time with them. Left to cherish her memory are her husband Joseph Karkosh Sr. of Reinbeck, Ia; her daughter Dianne (Gene) Barker of Reinbeck, Ia; her son Joe Jr. (Zola) of Hudson, Ia; grandchildren William (Christine) Barker of Des Moines, Ia; Stephanie (Troy) Holman of Reinbeck, Ia; David (Pam, fiancé) Karkosh of Hudson, Ia; Michael Karkosh and Steven Karkosh of Cedar Falls, Ia; great-grandchildren Luke and Leah Holman of Reinbeck, Ia; her sister Phyllis Cooper of Toledo, Ia and many nieces and nephews.