Maria "Mary" Eipert, a long time resident of West Point, Iowa died at 10:40 pm Wednesday, June 15, 2011 at Klein Center, Burlington, Iowa. She was 91 years old and had been in failing health for several years. Maria was born in Schömitz, Czechoslovakia in 1919 and was the daughter of Maria (Zawischka) Hajek and Johann Hajek. Her region had been a part of Austria for centuries and her people considered themselves Austrians. However, the year before her birth the outcome of World War I changed the political boundaries and her homeland, known then as the Sudetenland, disappeared along with its German culture.
Maria's childhood was not an easy one. Her mother died before Maria reached the age of two. When her father remarried, Maria was disavowed by her stepmother and so was taken in and raised by her grandmother, Rosina Zawischka. Maria graduated from the local German school after completing its highest level, which was the eighth grade. Because her grandmother died a short time later it became necessary for Maria, at age 14, to move to a neighboring village and begin her working life doing household chores and farm labor. She lived there for the next 13 years. World War II began when she was 18 and at that point life became even harder when all men under 50 were inducted into the military and women had to take over nearly all labor.
On the last day of the war in Europe the Soviet Red Army and Czech partisans overran her village and began a violent and brutal occupation. The residents, primarily women, children, and old people, were stripped of all property and rights, made slave laborers, and mistreated until the ethnic cleansing of Czechoslovakia was completed the following year. Maria ended up a displaced person in Germany. There, in Bavaria, she married Fidel Eipert in 1947. Maria, Fidel, and their two children, crossed the Atlantic in 1952. Following a year in a remote part of California, Maria and her growing family moved to Iowa. In 1956 Maria's family, which now included four children, moved to rural West Point and there she resided for the next 51 years.
Two years after the death of her husband, Fidel, she moved from the family farm to West Point itself. In 2007 she gave up her house and came to Burlington where she resided briefly at The King's Daughters, then Sunnybrook. Her final residence became the Klein Center.
She is survived by her four children, Erich Eipert (spouse, Susan Eipert), of Seattle, Washington; Ingrid Waters (spouse, Tom Waters), of Burlington, Iowa; Mary Eipert (spouse, Steve Rowland), of Burlington, Iowa; and Gerhard Eipert (spouse, Ursula Eipert), of West Point, Iowa; four grandchildren, and two great grandchildren.
Her body has been cremated. Her family will meet friends 6:00 - 8:00 pm Monday, June 20, 2011 at the Barr-Holtkamp Funeral Home, West Point, Iowa with a Christian Wake Service at 7:00 pm, Monday evening. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 am Tuesday, June 21, 2011 at St. Mary of Assumption Church, West Point, Iowa. Private family burial will be held at a later date. A memorial has been established, contributions maybe made at the Barr-Holtkamp Funeral Home or the church.
Maria always liked to say "when I die, just bury me under the old hickory tree." This was a tree we all knew out on the farm where she spent most of her life. While that is not now practical in reality, this is where her children will always picture her residing.
Maria's childhood was not an easy one. Her mother died before Maria reached the age of two. When her father remarried, Maria was disavowed by her stepmother and so was taken in and raised by her grandmother, Rosina Zawischka. Maria graduated from the local German school after completing its highest level, which was the eighth grade. Because her grandmother died a short time later it became necessary for Maria, at age 14, to move to a neighboring village and begin her working life doing household chores and farm labor. She lived there for the next 13 years. World War II began when she was 18 and at that point life became even harder when all men under 50 were inducted into the military and women had to take over nearly all labor.
On the last day of the war in Europe the Soviet Red Army and Czech partisans overran her village and began a violent and brutal occupation. The residents, primarily women, children, and old people, were stripped of all property and rights, made slave laborers, and mistreated until the ethnic cleansing of Czechoslovakia was completed the following year. Maria ended up a displaced person in Germany. There, in Bavaria, she married Fidel Eipert in 1947. Maria, Fidel, and their two children, crossed the Atlantic in 1952. Following a year in a remote part of California, Maria and her growing family moved to Iowa. In 1956 Maria's family, which now included four children, moved to rural West Point and there she resided for the next 51 years.
Two years after the death of her husband, Fidel, she moved from the family farm to West Point itself. In 2007 she gave up her house and came to Burlington where she resided briefly at The King's Daughters, then Sunnybrook. Her final residence became the Klein Center.
She is survived by her four children, Erich Eipert (spouse, Susan Eipert), of Seattle, Washington; Ingrid Waters (spouse, Tom Waters), of Burlington, Iowa; Mary Eipert (spouse, Steve Rowland), of Burlington, Iowa; and Gerhard Eipert (spouse, Ursula Eipert), of West Point, Iowa; four grandchildren, and two great grandchildren.
Her body has been cremated. Her family will meet friends 6:00 - 8:00 pm Monday, June 20, 2011 at the Barr-Holtkamp Funeral Home, West Point, Iowa with a Christian Wake Service at 7:00 pm, Monday evening. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 am Tuesday, June 21, 2011 at St. Mary of Assumption Church, West Point, Iowa. Private family burial will be held at a later date. A memorial has been established, contributions maybe made at the Barr-Holtkamp Funeral Home or the church.
Maria always liked to say "when I die, just bury me under the old hickory tree." This was a tree we all knew out on the farm where she spent most of her life. While that is not now practical in reality, this is where her children will always picture her residing.
Maria "Mary" Eipert, a long time resident of West Point, Iowa died at 10:40 pm Wednesday, June 15, 2011 at Klein Center, Burlington, Iowa. She was 91 years old and had been in failing health for several years. Maria was born in Schömitz, Czechoslovakia in 1919 and was the daughter of Maria (Zawischka) Hajek and Johann Hajek. Her region had been a part of Austria for centuries and her people considered themselves Austrians. However, the year before her birth the outcome of World War I changed the political boundaries and her homeland, known then as the Sudetenland, disappeared along with its German culture.
Maria's childhood was not an easy one. Her mother died before Maria reached the age of two. When her father remarried, Maria was disavowed by her stepmother and so was taken in and raised by her grandmother, Rosina Zawischka. Maria graduated from the local German school after completing its highest level, which was the eighth grade. Because her grandmother died a short time later it became necessary for Maria, at age 14, to move to a neighboring village and begin her working life doing household chores and farm labor. She lived there for the next 13 years. World War II began when she was 18 and at that point life became even harder when all men under 50 were inducted into the military and women had to take over nearly all labor.
On the last day of the war in Europe the Soviet Red Army and Czech partisans overran her village and began a violent and brutal occupation. The residents, primarily women, children, and old people, were stripped of all property and rights, made slave laborers, and mistreated until the ethnic cleansing of Czechoslovakia was completed the following year. Maria ended up a displaced person in Germany. There, in Bavaria, she married Fidel Eipert in 1947. Maria, Fidel, and their two children, crossed the Atlantic in 1952. Following a year in a remote part of California, Maria and her growing family moved to Iowa. In 1956 Maria's family, which now included four children, moved to rural West Point and there she resided for the next 51 years.
Two years after the death of her husband, Fidel, she moved from the family farm to West Point itself. In 2007 she gave up her house and came to Burlington where she resided briefly at The King's Daughters, then Sunnybrook. Her final residence became the Klein Center.
She is survived by her four children, Erich Eipert (spouse, Susan Eipert), of Seattle, Washington; Ingrid Waters (spouse, Tom Waters), of Burlington, Iowa; Mary Eipert (spouse, Steve Rowland), of Burlington, Iowa; and Gerhard Eipert (spouse, Ursula Eipert), of West Point, Iowa; four grandchildren, and two great grandchildren.
Her body has been cremated. Her family will meet friends 6:00 - 8:00 pm Monday, June 20, 2011 at the Barr-Holtkamp Funeral Home, West Point, Iowa with a Christian Wake Service at 7:00 pm, Monday evening. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 am Tuesday, June 21, 2011 at St. Mary of Assumption Church, West Point, Iowa. Private family burial will be held at a later date. A memorial has been established, contributions maybe made at the Barr-Holtkamp Funeral Home or the church.
Maria always liked to say "when I die, just bury me under the old hickory tree." This was a tree we all knew out on the farm where she spent most of her life. While that is not now practical in reality, this is where her children will always picture her residing.
Maria's childhood was not an easy one. Her mother died before Maria reached the age of two. When her father remarried, Maria was disavowed by her stepmother and so was taken in and raised by her grandmother, Rosina Zawischka. Maria graduated from the local German school after completing its highest level, which was the eighth grade. Because her grandmother died a short time later it became necessary for Maria, at age 14, to move to a neighboring village and begin her working life doing household chores and farm labor. She lived there for the next 13 years. World War II began when she was 18 and at that point life became even harder when all men under 50 were inducted into the military and women had to take over nearly all labor.
On the last day of the war in Europe the Soviet Red Army and Czech partisans overran her village and began a violent and brutal occupation. The residents, primarily women, children, and old people, were stripped of all property and rights, made slave laborers, and mistreated until the ethnic cleansing of Czechoslovakia was completed the following year. Maria ended up a displaced person in Germany. There, in Bavaria, she married Fidel Eipert in 1947. Maria, Fidel, and their two children, crossed the Atlantic in 1952. Following a year in a remote part of California, Maria and her growing family moved to Iowa. In 1956 Maria's family, which now included four children, moved to rural West Point and there she resided for the next 51 years.
Two years after the death of her husband, Fidel, she moved from the family farm to West Point itself. In 2007 she gave up her house and came to Burlington where she resided briefly at The King's Daughters, then Sunnybrook. Her final residence became the Klein Center.
She is survived by her four children, Erich Eipert (spouse, Susan Eipert), of Seattle, Washington; Ingrid Waters (spouse, Tom Waters), of Burlington, Iowa; Mary Eipert (spouse, Steve Rowland), of Burlington, Iowa; and Gerhard Eipert (spouse, Ursula Eipert), of West Point, Iowa; four grandchildren, and two great grandchildren.
Her body has been cremated. Her family will meet friends 6:00 - 8:00 pm Monday, June 20, 2011 at the Barr-Holtkamp Funeral Home, West Point, Iowa with a Christian Wake Service at 7:00 pm, Monday evening. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 am Tuesday, June 21, 2011 at St. Mary of Assumption Church, West Point, Iowa. Private family burial will be held at a later date. A memorial has been established, contributions maybe made at the Barr-Holtkamp Funeral Home or the church.
Maria always liked to say "when I die, just bury me under the old hickory tree." This was a tree we all knew out on the farm where she spent most of her life. While that is not now practical in reality, this is where her children will always picture her residing.
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