Patricia L. Kass, 90, of Cherokee, Iowa, formerly of rural Marcus, Iowa, passed away on Friday, March 11, 2016 at Careage Hills in Cherokee. Funeral services will take place at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, March 16, 2016 at Trinity Lutheran Church, rural Marcus. Rev. Don Meyer will officiate. Burial will follow at a later date at Trinity Lutheran Church Cemetery. Visitation will begin at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 15, 2016 at Trinity Lutheran Church, rural Marcus. The family will be present from 5-8 p.m. with a prayer service scheduled at 7:00 p.m. There will also be one hour of visitation at the church prior to the service on Wednesday.

Patricia Louise Kass was born in 1926 in Sioux City, Iowa, the daughter of Charles and Dorothy (Lemcke) Sherman. Her father died in an auto accident when she was two years old. She lived in Sioux City until the age of 8 when she and her mother moved to Kimball, South Dakota. Pat lived there until 1941 when she moved back to Sioux City to live with her foster parents, Ray and Gay Rieke.

Pat graduated from Central High School in Sioux City in 1944. Following graduation she worked for Western Union Telegraph as a telegrapher. While working for this firm she transferred to Chicago, Illinois. Pat later obtained a position with the Wander Company (makers of Ovaltine) as a bookkeeper and secretary. While working at Wander, Pat attended school at IBM Business School and learned to program tabulating machines. In 1951, she returned to Iowa where she worked for H. Floyd Phelps, an attorney in Kingsley, Iowa. She later worked for D.K. Baxter of Sioux City.

On August 28, 1953 Pat and Joe Kass were united in marriage at First Lutheran Church in Kingsley, Iowa. Pat remained at home on a farm near Remsen, Iowa. Along with assisting Joe on the farm, she raised her sons, Lee and Donald and daughters, Joan and Jan.

In 1972, she became employed by Mid-Sioux Opportunity, Inc. of Remsen. She served there in varying capacities until 1982 when she retired from the position of Executive Director. Following her retirement, Pat became the director of the Happy Bear Program in four counties and was instrumental in the formation of Child Abuse Prevention Groups in several Iowa counties. In 1990, she received the State Outstanding Individual Award from the National Council for the Prevention of Child Abuse.

In 1990, she and Joe moved to Cherokee where she became an employee of Countryside Estates as a nurses’ aide, bookkeeper and designated social worker until 1996. While in this position she became interested in the victims of Alzheimer’s disease. Pat assisted in the organization of the Cherokee Alzheimer’s Disease Support Group in 1994. She was also a volunteer for the Hospice program, assisting in clerical work. In earlier years, she taught cake decorating and decorated numerous wedding cakes.

Pat was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church, rural Marcus, from the time of her marriage to the present. She served as Sunday School teacher for many years, as church secretary and was editor of the church newsletter for five years. She was also a long time member of Ladies Aide.

She will be lovingly remembered by her husband Joe; step-son Lee (Susan) Kass of Lisle, Illinois; daughter Joan (Andreas) Exner of Durango, Iowa; daughter Jan (Phil) Burnside of Indianapolis, Indiana; son Donald (Shelly) Kass of Remsen, Iowa; grandchildren, Alan Kass, Ellen Bunkers (fiancé, Daniel Ritter), Evan Bunkers, Lee (Apryl) Nenortas, Robin Morris (husband Bill Martino), Jamison (Samantha) Morris, Jessica (Jens) Jenson, Shelby (Jacob) Johnson; great-grandchildren, twins Anthony and Teegan Ritter, Alex, Erik and Andrew Nenortas, Joseph Martino, Blake and Riley Morris and Lydia Jenson; foster sister, Mary (James) Hart of Estherville, Iowa.

Pat was preceded in death by her parents, foster parents and a half-brother.

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