Obituary of Helen M. Sterba Zook

Helen M. Sterba Zook, age 85-lifetime resident of Johnson County, died Tuesday, May 4, 2004, at Mercy Hospital in Iowa City following a brief illness. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m., Friday, May 7, 2004, at Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service in Iowa City with the Reverend Rudolph Berndt officiating. Burial will be at St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery in Solon. Visitation will be from 4 to 8p.m. Thursday at the funeral home. A memorial fund has been established in Helen’s memory. Helen Marie Meka was born April 8, 1919, in rural Johnson County, the daughter of Charles and Anna (Mika) Meka. On September 22, 1943, she married Anton F. Sterba in Iowa City. Anton died August 3, 1980. She later married Floyd A. Zook. Mr. Zook died March 6, 1992. Helen has enjoyed a lifetime of cooking, sharing her passion of cooking in some of the places where she worked, including the Mayflower Inn, Lenoch & Cilek, The Elks Club, and for many years ACT where she retired from. Her family includes three sons, Robert Sterba of Iowa City, James Sterba of West Des Moines, and Donald Sterba and his wife, Marcia of North Liberty; grandchildren, Annette Mahoney, Jeff Sterba, Dan Sterba, and Andy Sterba; one great-grandson, Tony Mahoney. She was preceded in death by her husbands, one sister, Erma Kasparek; four brothers, William, Louis, Leo, and Clarence Meka. Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service of Iowa City is caring for Helen’s family and her services.