Lucille Skalitzky

Lucille Skalitzky, 79 of Waterloo, passed into eternal life on June 13th, 2021 at home with family by her side. A daughter of Harvey Deppe and Matilda Peschel, she was born on May 22nd, 1942. She married the love of her life and high school sweetheart, Kenneth Skalitzky. They married on September 17th, 1960, and were married for over 58 years. They were the proud parents of Keri (Tal) Sellers; Kimm (Mike) Sarosi, Kurt (Beth), Kristin (Rick) Staehler, and Kyle (Angela).

Lucy’s life can be summed up by her value of faith, family, and friends. She was a member of Holy Family Parish all her life, serving on the Alter Sodality and volunteering at Holy Family School, which she even attended when it was called St. Joseph Grade School.

Her gift to this world was that of a loving wife, mother, and grandmother. Some of her most cherished memories were made with family, and for their 50th wedding anniversary the entire clan celebrated in St. Simon’s Island, GA. All holidays and birthdays were special occasions for family to gather, with the Christmas holiday being a family favorite. Her family loved her Christmas traditions, especially her famous Brandy Slush. She thought the world of her 14 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

An avid coffee drinker, she enjoyed coffee with friends and in a special way her sisters.  Often her coffee get-togethers would follow Wednesday Mass. She derived much strength from her daily prayer and leaning on the Lord. This gave her the grace that she so beautifully demonstrated throughout her whole life and in a unique way, through her journey with cancer. She was passionate about her garden, and so grateful for the home that she and Kenny built on the Sod Farm. She supported the community in many ways, including giving of her time at St. Vinnies and the Waterloo Food Pantry.

She was a woman with unparalleled work ethic, taking care of others until her final days. Nothing was more evident than her dedication to family, demonstrated through her support of Kenny through his 25-year history of cardiac disease and a lifetime of farming.

She was preceded in death by her husband, parents, and siblings: Mary Gritzmacher; Helen Deppe; and Rita Langer (Rod) and brothers-in-law: Ron Sellnow and Allen Hilgendorf. Survived by: Ruth Sellnow, Loreta Hilgendorf and Jean (Robert) Crosby and brother-in-law, Bill Gritzmacher, by her children and grandchildren: Morgan (Jae) Han and Addison Hellenbrand; Sean Sellers; Ellery, Mason and Matilyn Sarosi; Hans, Josef and Sara Skalitzky; Maya, Ava and Nia Staehler; and Wyatt and Westin Skalitzky, and by her great-grandchild: Winston Han. Her legacy will live on through those she loved.

Lucy’s immediate and large extended family fueled her joy each day and her spirit of kinship will live on forever in our hearts. The family would like to express their gratitude to Dr. Rory Makielski and special nurse, Jen for their outstanding care and compassion over the last 18 months. In lieu of flowers, please make memorial donations to Holy Family School in Waterloo.

A Mass of Christian burial will be held at 11:00AM on Friday, June 18th, 2021 at Holy Family Parish – Waterloo Campus with Fr. Jorge Miramontes presiding.  A public rosary service will be held at 10:45AM and a private, immediate family Visitation will take place before. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, there will not be a luncheon to follow. She will be buried at St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery following the Mass.