Evelyn Kopel

Evelyn Kopel, 96, of Bickford Cottages, former longtime Haverhill resident, died early Monday morning, June 16th, at the Iowa River Hospice Home. A funeral service will be held at 10:00 a.m. Thursday, June 19th, at the Immaculate Conception Oratory in Haverhill where Evelyn served as church organist for years. She will be laid to rest in the Immaculate Conception Catholic Cemetery in Haverhill. Visitation will be held from 5-7:00 p.m. Tuesday at the Mitchell Family Funeral Home with a 7:00 p.m. rosary lead by the family. Additional visitation will be held from 5-7:00 p.m. Wednesday at Immaculate Conception in Haverhill with a 7:00 p.m. public rosary/vigil service. Memorials may be directed to the St. Francis Building project or Iowa River Hospice. For condolences, please visit www.mitchellfh.com. Ph. 641-844-1234. Born Evelyn Stalzer on May 16th, 1918, in Stacyville, Iowa, she was the second child of 11 born to Bernard and Frances (Jansen) Stalzer. On April 3rd, 1933, she suffered the traumatic death of her older brother and became the eldest child of the family. Her family returned to Haverhill to farm near her grandparents. On February 10th, 1936, she was united in marriage to Andrew Kopel at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Haverhill. They farmed at two places south of Marshalltown and then at Haverhill until retiring into town. She was a faithful and active member of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church (later Oratory), St. Monicas Society, and enjoyed quilting, playing the organ and piano, sewing, gardening, sharing her strawberries and was famous for her wedding cakes often making them with her sisters. She treasured her family who enjoyed her cooking and riding Andrews ponies. Left to cherish her memory are her siblings: Helen Wafer of Davenport, Leon Stalzer of Haverhill, Jeanette (Harlan) Kloppenborg of State Center, and Don (Judy) Stalzer of Haverhill as well as her brother-in-law Jerry Schroyer of Baxter and many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and nephews and even great-great nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, her beloved husband Andrew and siblings: Richard Stalzer, Harold (Esther) Stalzer, Ruth (Leo) Kopel, Mildred (Ed) Kurtz, Doris (Donald) Edler and Alice Schroyer as well as sisters-in-law Jeanette Stalzer and Marianne Stalzer and brother-in-law Richard Wafer.