Geneva Gass

Geneva Veronica Gass, 93, passed away Friday, May 17, 2013 at Bishop Drumm Care Center in Johnston. She was born March 26, 1920, on a farm northeast of Lacona, Iowa, in Rosemont Parish, to Frank and Suzanna (Heinen) Schurman. At the age of four she started school with her older brother at Rosedale School, about ¾ mile from home. She graduated from the 8th grade at Rosemont. On December 31, 1940, Geneva was united in marriage to Herbert Gass of the St Mary's Catholic Church in Rosemont. In the first six years they moved four times before finally settling into her current home at Bauer in 1950. Geneva lost her husband in 1968 and finished raising the youngest five children. She always had a deep, solid faith. Geneva loved God, her family, and the Church. She belonged to the Christian Mothers Association at Bauer, and to the Altar and Rosary Society at Melcher. When the Bauer school closed and the nuns moved away, she became the organist and choir director at St Joseph's Church. Geneva enjoyed being a homemaker and playing music on the organ, piano and guitar. She loved life on the farm, and enjoyed tending to her cats and dogs. Her home was always open for friends and relatives when they came back to Iowa. Geneva was preceded in death by her parents; three brothers: Vitus, Marvin and Virgil; sister Bertha Wadle; her husband Herbert Gass; and one great grandchild, Lucas Bowers. She is survived by nine children: John (Mary) Gass of Lacona, Kenneth Gass of Ankeny, Carol (Jerry) Nicholson of Longmont, CO, Keith (Margaret) Gass of Carlisle, Anne Bowers of Des Moines, Joseph (Linda) Gass of Monroe City, MO, Gerald (Angie) Gass of Russell, Frank (Cheryl) Gass of Longmont, CO, Thomas Gass of Melcher; 25 grandchildren; 35 great grandchildren and a sister, Margaret Dittmer of Indianola. Funeral mass will be 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, May 21, 2013 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Melcher with Fr. Steve Ebel officiating. Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m., Monday at Sacred Heart Catholic Church with a vigil service at 7:00 p.m... Memorials may be given to Bishop Drumm Care Center. Condolences may be left at www.pierschbacherfuneralhome.com.