With grateful hearts, we celebrate the life of a beautiful woman who enriched our lives with her boundless love and selfless acts of kindness. Claudia Dolezal, a dedicated wife, beloved mother of three, and admired grandmother of eight, passed away peacefully on January 7, 2025 following a prolonged illness.
Mass of the Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m., Monday, January 13, 2025 at St. Lawrence Church – St. John Paul II Parish in Carroll. The Celebrant will be Fr. Craig Collison. Mass servers will be Peter and Colleen Dolezal. Lectors for the Funeral Mass will be Jack Kersey, Luke Kersey, and Sara Kersey. Gift Bearers will be Maggie Dolezal, James Dolezal, and Mark Dolezal. Eucharistic Minister will be Clare Dolezal. Casket Bearers will be Terry Axman, Mike Franey, Vern Henkenius, Craig Mertz, Natalie Bruner and Donna Pudenz. Burial will be in Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Carroll.
A visitation will be held from 3-5 p.m. on Sunday at the Sharp Funeral Home in Carroll and will conclude with a rosary at 5 p.m. Following the rosary a reception will be held in the Sharp Center. Additional visitation will be from 9:30-10:15 a.m. on Monday at the church.
Funeral arrangements are under the guidance of the Sharp Funeral Home in Carroll and online condolences may be left for the Dolezal family at www.sharpfuneral.com.
In lieu of flowers, please support Cultivate Food Rescue (www.cultivatefoodrescue.com) to celebrate Claudia’s love of baking.
Claudia Sharon Jaeger Dolezal was born February 15, 1944, in Amarillo, Texas, the 4th child of 8 to Alvin Anthony and Mary Kathleen Edwards Jaeger. She spent her childhood and teenage years in Houston, Texas, and graduated from St. Agnes Academy in Houston in 1962. She then moved to Dubuque, Iowa to attend Clark College where she graduated with a history degree with honors in 1966. Claudia moved to Carroll, Iowa in 1967 after accepting a job teaching history at Kuemper Catholic High School and taught there until 1974. After moving to Carroll, Claudia met Fred Dolezal, and they were married at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Dubuque, Iowa on June 8. 1968. Claudia and Fred welcomed three children, Sara, Katy, and Tim. Together, they made their family home in Carroll and quickly became ingrained in the community, chairing the Kuemper Ball, supporting St. Anthony Hospital, and enjoying their friends at the Carroll Country Club.
An active member of St. Lawrence Parish, Claudia’s faith was a guiding light in her life and a source of strength for her and those who knew her. She cherished the simple joys of life—walking along the beaches of Florida, tending to her vibrant garden, and reading hundreds of mystery novels a year. But perhaps her greatest joy was found in her baking. She was well known for her baking, especially during the Christmas holidays. She would make dozens of cookies and pecan danishes to share with family and friends. Claudia took much pride in maintaining her home and being a wife, mother, and grandmother. Her kindness and thoughtfulness also extended far beyond her family, touching the lives of friends and neighbors alike.
Claudia is survived by her husband of 57 years, Fred, her children Sara Elizabeth (Dolezal) Kersey and husband, Mike Kersey of Manhattan Beach, California; Kathleen Louise Dolezal of South Bend, Indiana; and Timothy William Dolezal and wife Kathleen (Fox) Dolezal of South Bend, Indiana; grandchildren Peter (16), Clare (15), Colleen (13), Margaret (10), James (8), and Mark (5) Dolezal and Jack (14) and Luke (12) Kersey; her siblings Elizabeth Jaeger Anthony, Clare Jaeger Friedman, and William Anthony Jaeger and many nieces and nephews.
Claudia was preceded in death by her parents, Alvin and Mary Kay; her siblings Mary Kathleen Stetson, John Anthony Jaeger, Joan Anita Maniag, and Thomas Frederick Jaeger; and her grandparents, John and Loretto Edwards and Walter and Matilda Jaeger.
Claudia, you will remain twice on our minds and always in our hearts. May you rest in eternal paradise.
