Obituary of Winifred Mercedes Holland

Winifred Mercedes Holland, longtime Iowa City resident, died Tuesday, April 15, 2014. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Monday, April 21, 2014, at 11:00 am at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Iowa City with the Reverend Rudolph Juarez officiating. Burial at St. Joseph Cemetery will follow a reception that will be held at the church. Visitation will be after 9 am on Monday at the church until service time. In lieu of flowers memorial donations can be made in her memory to the Food Bank at the Iowa City Crisis Center. Online condolences may be sent for her family through the web @ www.gayandicha.com. Winifred Mercedes Spratt was born September 9, 1926, in rural Parnell, Iowa the daughter of Bernard and Anna Mary (Reading) Spratt. She was the youngest of a family of seven children. Her family moved to rural Oxford in 1936. She attended schools in Oxford and graduated from Oxford High School in 1943; and from the Iowa City Commercial College in 1944. On February 4, 1948, she was united in marriage to Paul James Holland at the St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Iowa City. She was employed in Iowa City as a secretary for 35 years. Beginning her career at the Iowa Land Company, then in the Nursing Service Office at the University Hospitals; and retiring as Federal Services Department Secretary from NCS (National Computer Systems, formerly Westinghouse Learning Corporation) in 1989. At her retirement, she was presented with a trip to Washington, DC from her co-workers. The highlight of this trip was being seated in the Speaker's of the House chair (Congress was not in session). Winfred was a member of St. Patrick's Catholic Church, The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, Nathaniel Fellows Chapter; and the Iowa City/Johnson County Senior Center. While her children were growing up she also served as a Girl Scout Leader and Cub Scout Den Mother. She enjoyed spending time with family and friends, traveling, theater, reading, sewing, flower gardening and working in the yard at her home in the Lucas Farms Neighborhood. The land on which she and her husband, Paul built their home in 1955, was once part of the farm of Robert Lucas, first Governor of the Territory of Iowa. Winifred's family includes her daughter, Nancy (Randy) Lackender of Iowa City; sons, Patrick Holland (Stephanie) of San Diego, CA; Stephen Holland of Muscatine; Daniel Holland of Iowa City; and Robert Holland (Diane) of Phoenix, AZ; grandchildren, Paul Holland, Anna Dizack (Aaron), Jessica Grout (Kyle), Cassie Putney (Maclaine), Robert Holland Jr. (Amber), Ryan Holland, and Willis Holland (Amanda); three great-granddaughters, Madeline Putney, Ava Grout, and Hallie Holland; a great-grandson, Jack Putney; a sister-in-law, Doris Spratt and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, Paul in 1982; sisters, Mary Genevieve McDaniel, Anna Gorvin, and Luella TePoel; brothers, William Spratt, Bernard Spratt, and Richard Spratt; sisters in-law, Gretchen Spratt, Mary Donohue, LaVella Kern, and Helen Spratt; brothers-in-law, Max McDaniel, James Gorvin, William Holland and Francis Holland. Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service is caring for Winifred's family and her services.