Deanna Mary Cmelik

DEANNA MARY CMELIK

 Deanna Mary Cmelik, age 85 of Aurelia, IA, and formerly Cherokee, IA, passed away Thursday, October 3, 2024, at Accura Healthcare in Aurelia, IA. Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m. Friday, October 11, 2024, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Cherokee, IA. Pastor Denise Malvesti will officiate. Burial will take place at Oak Hill Cemetery at a later date. Visitation with the family present will be held from 5:00-7:00 p.m. Thursday night at the Greenwood-Schubert Funeral Home in Cherokee. The Greenwood-Schubert Funeral Home in Cherokee, IA is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.greenwoodfuneral.com.

DeAnna Cmelik, age 85, of Aurelia, IA, formerly of Cherokee, IA was born on September 11, 1939, daughter of Bernard and Louise (Dilly) Venenga in Grundy Center, IA. DeAnna attended Wellsburg Schools. On March 21, 1958, she married Walter Cmelik at the St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Wellsburg, IA. They moved to Waterloo, where Walter worked and attended Ellsworth Community College. In 1961, they moved to Tama, IA where Walt helped his father run his butcher shop. In 1962, they moved to Cherokee, IA where later DeAnna opened Dee’s Day Care, which she operated for over 50 years, taking care of generations of the same families. They also enjoyed opening their home to numerous foster children. DeAnna volunteered for many years as a den mother for Cub and Boy Scout, receiving the Sliver Beaver award in 1985, which is given to those who implement the Scouting program and perform community service through hard work, self-sacrifice, dedication, and many years of service. 

DeAnna and Walt enjoyed their weekends at their lake house which they built themselves in 1980. They also enjoyed traveling all over the world; they went on many cruises, their last together was an Alaskan Cruise in 2005. DeAnna continued to go on cruises with her sister, Sandy and her husband, Art. DeAnna enjoyed gardening, trying to grow many new plants and fruit trees. DeAnna was a member of the Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Cherokee, IA, where she enjoyed attending her Tuesday bible study group.

DeAnna passed away at Accura HealthCare in Aurelia, IA on October 3, 2024, where she had been a resident since September 2020. 

Survivors include her three sons, Mike (Karen) Cmelik of Clear Lake ,IA; Mark (Lisa) Cmelik of Aurelia, IA; Tim (Vonda) Stowell of Cherokee, IA; grandchildren, Matt Cmelik, Melissa (Colby) Nichols, Lorelei (fiancée, Ian Strange), Scott (Shawna) Cmelik, Whitney (Mike) Kuehn and Chrysta (Cory) VanderPloeg, Veronica (Brian) Stickrod and Derrick (Isabella) Stowell; 20 great grandchildren; sisters-in-law, Janet Venenga of Parkersburg, IA, Kim (John Larson) Cmelik Larson of Storm Lake, IA, numerous nieces, nephews and many beloved day care kids.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 48 years, Walt, her parents, Bernard and Louise Venenga; parents in law, Frank and Margaret Cmelik; brother, Gene Venenga; two sisters, Sandy Duncan and her husband Art, Helen Tow and her husband Norman; brothers-in-laws, Robert and his wife, Helen, Virgal and his wife, Juliette, Frank Jr. and his wife, Nancy, LaRue and his wife, Carolyn, Paul and three in infancy; sisters-in-laws, Dorothy, Winston and her husband, William Scott and LaVonne Cmelik.