Obituary of Lucille M. Calkins

Lucille M. "Lucy" Calkins, 85 of Iowa City died Saturday, March 15, 2014, at Mercy Hospital in Iowa City. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, March 20, 2014, at Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service, with burial to follow at Memory Gardens Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 pm Wednesday at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers a memorial fund has been established in Lucille's memory. Lucille Mae Hamer was born February 9, 1929, in Springdale, Iowa, the daughter of Charles and Effie (Krotz) Hamer. She married Lawrence A. Calkins on April 24, 1947 at the Trinity Episcopal Church in Iowa City. The couple made their home here in Iowa City where they raised their family. Lucille worked at NCS for 22 years. Lucille enjoyed life's simple pleasures, her flower gardens, caring for her home, but most importantly, and the one that brought her the greatest joy, was her family. She loved being wife, mom and grandma. There was nothing Lucille wouldn't do for her family and them for her. In their younger years, you would find Lucille and Larry spending summers at their cabin along the Cedar River, often with family and friends around the campfire cooking out, with Lucille smiling ear to ear! In her later years Lucille was stricken with severe arthritis but never complained about the pain she endured. Her family includes her husband, Larry; son, Craig Calkins (Laurie) of Kalona and 5 grandchildren; Amanda Bender (Justin), Pamela Kiser-Burch (Tim), Tricia Kiser, Chris McClure (Melissa) and Alex Brown (Sandra); 6 great-grandchildren, 1 great-great grandchild and her brother, Howard Hamer of Payson, AZ. She was preceded in death by her parents, daughter, Gail S. Kiser; and siblings, Dorothy Stoneburner, Clarence, Ralph, Leo, Fred, Irvin and Robert Hamer.