Dolores Mary Gassman, 92, passed away on Thursday, July 12, 2018 at University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics in Iowa City. A visitation will be held at Lensing Funeral and Cremation Service at 605 Kirkwood Avenue, Iowa City on Friday, July 20, from 3:00 to 8:00 pm. A rosary will begin at 6:30 – followed by a vigil service.

The funeral Mass will be offered at St. Wenceslaus Church at 630 E Davenport Street in Iowa City on Saturday, July 21 at 10:00 am. Burial will follow at St. Joseph Cemetery in Iowa City.

In lieu of flowers and plants, memorials may be directed to the Dolores M. Gassman Memorial Fund.

Dolores was born on January 2, 1926 at the family farm at Dyersville, Iowa to parents Joseph John Sperfslage and Iva Rose (Hass) Sperfslage. Her family moved to Delhi where she attended Delhi Consolidated School and later, two years at St Joseph’s School in Earlville. After college she became an elementary school teacher in Wisconsin and Iowa elementary schools where she taught first grade.

On October 13, 1951, she was joined in marriage to George Joseph Gassman and together they moved to Iowa City to live. As well as an at home mom, Dolores serve as a crossing guard for 30 years at Shimek and Horace Mann schools. Her love for children continued by leadership in Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, religious education, and school activities. Many will remember her for the sewing projects of clothing, home furnishings, crib quilts, and toys she made. She enjoyed many forms of culinary arts, letter writing and entertaining, had a passion for bridge playing and loved to go dancing. She was an avid theatre enthusiast and enjoyed football. Dolores was also a benefactor of those who needed support to attend college.

Memories for her grandchildren are the summer visits and the production of theme shows they did together. This included puppet and magic shows, circus and arts, and science projects.

Dolores is survived by her son George W. Gassman of Marshalltown, IA, daughters Janet Otten (Robert) of Silverdale, Washington, and Ruth Gassman (Joel Ybe) of Bloomington. Indiana. Her grandchildren are Hans and Benjamin Otten, Jessica and Vincent Gassman (Michelle), and great-granddaughter Victoria Gassman.

She is preceded in death by her parents, her husband George, sisters Alice Hargrafen-Shea (Don), Isabel Schuster (Robert), Eleanor Ryan of Monticello, and her brother Joseph Franklin Sperfslage (Lila).

Dolores was grateful for the help of good friends and neighbors including Beth and Jim Kerr, Haiming and Wei Chen, Lee Sloan, the Marilyn Smith family, the Brett Lincoln family, Finn Greteman, and her niece Sharon Manternach.

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