Obituary of Gretchen L. Hess

Iowa City Dateline: Gretchen L. Hess, age 87 of 2420 Crestview Avenue, Iowa City died Tuesday, February 28, 2006, at Windmill Manor in Coralville. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m., Friday, March 3, 2006, at Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service in Iowa City with the Reverend Wallace Bubar officiating. Burial will be at Oakland Cemetery in Iowa City. Visitation will be from 4 to 7pm Thursday at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to Iowa City Hospice. Online condolences may be sent for her family through our website @www.gayandciha.com. Gretchen Leona Villhauer was born August 3, 1918, in rural Johnson County, Iowa the daughter of Louie and Minnie (Price) Villhauer. On April 10, 1942, she married Raymond M. Hess in Iowa City. For over twenty years she worked at the HyVee Store formerly located on Kirkwood Avenue in Iowa City. She was member of First Baptist Church in Iowa City. A member of Iowa City Women’s Bowling Association for over thirty years, serving as treasurer for sixteen years, and member Emeritus. She was inducted into the Iowa City Women’s Bowling Hall of Fame. Gretchen enjoyed doing crochet, and counter cross-stitch. But one of her weekly traditions that she so enjoyed was getting together with her sisters and playing cards all day and into the evening, “Wednesday Card Day”! Her family includes her husband of over sixty-three years, Raymond; brothers, Howard Villhauer and his wife, Mary of Iowa City, and Donald Villhauer and his wife, Marcia of Tipton; sister, Joan Hummer of Oxford; and many nieces and nephews. Gretchen was preceded in death by her parents, daughter, Susan Rae Hess; sisters, Henrietta Villhauer, Louise Huffman, Anna L. Shockley, Letha Hein, and Marie Svatos; brothers, Leo, David, Herman, Carl and Louie Villhauer. A special thanks to Larry and Kathie Strabala and Jerry and Becky Hora, who have been there for Gretchen and Raymond so much during the last months. Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service of Iowa City is caring for Gretchen’s family and her services.