OBITUARY: Jane Elizabeth (Praska) Pitzen, 1941-2005, Mitchell County, Iowa





                           Jane Elizabeth Pitzen

A Mass of Christian Burial for Jane Elizabeth Pitzen, age 63, of Stacyville,
Iowa, was held Tuesday, March 8, 2005, at Visitation Catholic Church in
Stacyville with Rev. Mark Reasoner officiating.

Burial was in Visitation Catholic Cemetery in Stacyville.  Jane died on
Saturday, March, 5, 2005, at Methodist Hospital in Rochester, Minnesota,
after a courageous two year battle with acute leukemia.

Jane was born August 21, 1941, in Elma, Iowa, the daughter of Victor and
Rose (Komarak) Praska. She graduated from St. William's High School in Alta
Vista, Iowa, and attended Hamilton Business College in Mason City.

On November 23, 1961, she was united in marriage to Gene Robert Pitzen at
St. Bernard's Catholic Church in Alta Vista. Jane worked as a secretary in
Ames as a newlywed, before becoming a full time mom and working part time
at the Stacyville Nursing Home. She later worked at the Austin Vet Clinic
after Gene and Jane dispersed their dairy herd. Jane's greatest joys were
her six children and 11 grandchildren. She also greatly enjoyed her pet
companion, Nutmeg.

Jane was a member of Visitation Catholic Church, past Northwest Country
Circle Leader, member of the Catholic Order of Foresters, and a member
of the Mitchell County Dairy Promotion Group.

Jane was preceded in death by her mother and father, Rose and Victor Praska.

Survivors are her husband, Gene Pitzen of Stacyville; her children, Julie
Niess and her husband Scott of Osage, and their children Cody and Cally;
Randy Pitzen and his wife Janet of Adams, Minn., and their children Adam,
Jessica, and Alex; Jeff Pitzen and his wife Carmen of Kasson, Minn., and
their children, Danielle and Rachel; Rick Pitzen and his wife Teri of
Dubuque, and their children Deidre and Lucas; Lori Ishman of Floyd, and
her children Tyler and Taylor; and Ryan Pitzen, at home.

She is also survived by one brother, Donald Praska and his wife Karen of
Charles City; and her mother-in-law, Mary Pitzen of Stacyville.

The Champion-Bucheit Funeral Home, Osage, was in charge of arrangements.

                       

    Copyright 2005, Mitchell County Press-News   All rights reserved.
    www.mcpress.com -- Posted March 8, 2005