Emma Jean Schrock

Emma Jean Schrock, 89, of Kalona, died Saturday, November 28, 2020, at the Pleasantview Home in Kalona. A private family service will be held Wednesday, December 2, 2020, at 10:30 AM at the East Union Mennonite Church. Burial will follow at the East Union Cemetery. The service will be available via Livestream at the Beatty Peterseim Facebook Page. Family condolences or donations toward a memorial in Emma Jean’s honor to East Union Mennonite Church, Pleasantview Home or Iowa City Hospice can be sent to: Doris Thirtle at 114 Pleasantivew Circle, Kalona, Iowa, 52247. The Beatty Peterseim Funeral Home is assisting the family.

Emma Jean was born July 9, 1931 in Kalona, IA, the daughter of Elmer J. and Alma (Hochstetler) Schrock. In 1936 Elmer and family returned to Maryland, they lived there six years and then returned to Iowa. Emma Jean loved that part of her life with all of her cousins. The rest of her life was spent in Iowa. Emma Jean was a faithful member of the East Union Mennonite Church. She was a kind, and caring lady to all that she met. Emma Jean worked for the University of Iowa in housekeeping for 42 years. She retired on June 30, 1992. Her hobbies were bowling, Iowa Basketball and traveling. She traveled to bowling tournaments throughout the United States, including 19 national tournaments. Emma Jean visited 48 of the continental states and frequently attended the Schrock reunions in Pennsylvania. She enjoyed giving maple syrup and apple butter as gifts. Emma Jean was an avid Hawkeye football and basketball fan and a Chicago Cubs baseball fan. She cleaned and waxed many cars for her friends over the years and lived with Marge Gingerich for many years, traveling together, the two of them making a great team, helping each other. Jean was like a mother and best supporting friend to all her nieces and nephews, great-nieces and nephews, and all the children in the family. Never having children of her own, they were her children to her. Her legacy is in all the never-ending love she gave to her family.

Survivors include two sisters: Doris Thirtle of Kalona, Shirley (Mike) Michelozzi of Plainwell, MI, sister-in-law Abigail Schrock of Kalona, and many nieces and nephews.

Preceding Emma Jean in death were her parents, and infant sister Edna Maxine, four brothers: Robert (Ruby), Duane, Stanley and Donald, brother-in-law Eric Thirtle and two nephews: Gail Eugene and Gary Duane Schrock.