Florence Hennessy

Florence Hennessy, 90, of Waukon, Iowa, died Tuesday, March 29, 2005, at the Good Samaritan Center in Waukon, following a brief illness. Funeral services were held Friday, April 1 at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Waukon, with Fr. Joseph Schneider officiating. Burial was in Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Waukon. Martin Funeral Home in Waukon was in charge of arrangements.

Florence Freelove Hennessy was born July 24, 1914, in Waukon, Iowa, the daughter of Lewis and Freelove (Eastman) Thies. She attended Jefferson No. 7 rural school. Following school, she worked as a hired girl for several area families.

On March 1, 1938, she married William Hennessy at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Waukon. When World War II started, they moved to California. Later in life she attended an electronics school and then worked for Memorex Corporation for 15 years. In 1981 Florence and Bill moved back to Waukon.

Florence’s talents included sewing, embroidering, crocheting, spelling, and cooking, especially her apple pies. She was a very cordial person and loved a good story, liked eating out and socializing with friends, and enjoyed playing cards. She was an avid reader, had a passion for chocolate, and took special care to make sure her clothes and hair looked nice. In their younger years, Florence and Bill were excellent dancers and kicked up their heels to the music of the Toetappers at many area dances. In later years, they enjoyed an occasional trip to the casino. In spite of other jobs she may have held, Florence saw herself as a homemaker first, tending to the needs of her family, teaching her children the lessons they would need in life, and later loving every moment they got to spend together.

Survivors include three children, Sharon (Norm) Coleman of Aurora, Colo., Shirley (Bob) Dourgarian of San Ramon, Calif., and Jim (Joyce) Hennessy of West Jordan, Utah; 11 grandchildren; 24 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; and a sister, Emma Miene, and a brother, Leonard (Bernice) Thies, both of Waukon.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband William, who died in 1990; an infant son, John Joseph; a sister, Minerva Frink; and four brothers, Howard, Louis, Frank, and Elmer Thies.

Casketbearers were Jim, Kim, Don, and Dan Thies and Cletus and Daniel Mathis.