Obituary of Mary Alice Souhrada

Mary Alice Souhrada, age 68 of Tabor, SD passed away on Saturday, November 15, 2014 at the Dougherty Hospice House, Sioux Falls, SD. Memorial Mass will be 10: 30 AM, Tuesday, November 18, 2014 at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church, Tabor, with Rev. Steven Jones officiating. Burial will be in the parish cemetery with Military graveside rites by the Kortan-Hatwan American Legion Post #183. Visitations will begin at 5:00 PM, Monday, November 17, 2014 at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church, Tabor, SD with a Wake service at 7:00 PM. Visitations will resume one hour prior to the service at the church. The Opsahl-Kostel Memorial Chapel, Tabor, is assisting with service details. Mary was born September 10, 1946 in North Platte to Lee and Lucea (Polzkill) Gilbert. She graduated high school in North Platte in 1964 and immediately went to a convent in Louisville, Kentucky. Mary joined the Army in 1967 and received an honorable discharge on April 25, 1969. While in the Army, she met Larry Rowland and they were married in 1968. To this union their son, Jeffery was born in 1970. She annulled the marriage in 1971. She went to a college in Memphis, TN and received her Bachelor of Science degree. She worked at a hospital in Jackson, TN as a Lab Technologist. In 1976, she moved with her son to Sioux City, IA where she was employed at St. Lukes Hospital as a night lab technologist and supervisor. She retired in 2009. In 1991 she married George Souhrada. George passed away in 2007. Mary then moved to Tabor to enjoy her family and retirement. Mary was an exceptional seamstress with a focus on the Czech costumes of Tabor. She lovingly designed and embroidered the costumes for her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Her other passion was for designing beautiful cakes which she did most of her life. She taught confirmation classes and tutored college math students. She is survived by her sons: Jeff (Holly) Rowland, Tony (Sue) Souhrada and Scott (Prisilla) Souhrada; 11 grandchildren; 6 great-grandchildren; brothers: Richard (Peggy) Gilbert, Tim (Jodi) Gilbert and Frank Gilbert; sisters, Wanda Howard and Cathy (Ron) Piklapp. She was preceded in death by her husband, George, parents, sister, Shirley Mills, brothers, Jimmy and Larry Gilbert. The family requests that memorials be directed to the Mary Souhrada family at 222 South Janda Street, Tabor, SD 57063.