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Sr. Mary Lou Podzimek, RSM

September 22, 1934 ~ June 10, 2026

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Sister Mary Lou Podzimek, RSM, age 91, died on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at the HallMar Village Care Center after a brief illness.  Mass of Resurrection will be held on Monday, June 15, 2026, at 10:30 am at the Chris and Suzy DeWolf Innovation Center, 9000 C Avenue NE, Marion, Iowa, by Father James Brokman.  Burial will be at Mt. Calvary Cemetery in Cedar Rapids following the luncheon.

The visitation will be on Sunday, June 14, 2026, from 4:00 – 6:00 pm at the Community Room at HallMar Village, 8900 C Avenue NE, Marion, Iowa, with a wake service at 4:30 pm.  Arrangements are with Stewart Baxter Funeral & Memorial Services, Cedar Rapids.

Sister Mary Lou was born on September 22, 1934, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the daughter of Ralph and Lenora (Shuell) Podzimek.  She attended school in Cedar Rapids and graduated from the Mt. Mercy Academy, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in 1952.

Sr. Mary Lou entered the Sisters of Mercy in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in 1952.  She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Mt. Mercy College in 1966 and Master of Art in counseling from Loras College, Dubuque, Iowa, in 1972.  She began a long history of teaching grade school and taught at St. Benedict’s, Decorah, Iowa, Sacred Heart, Oelwein, Immaculate Conception, Elma, Iowa, St. Cecilia’s, Ames, Iowa, St. Joseph’s, DeWitt, Iowa, and St. John’s Waterloo, Iowa.  In 1967, she ministered as both a teacher and principal at St. John’s in Clarion, Iowa and St. Benedict’s in Decorah, Iowa.  In 1973, Sr. Mary Lou worked at Mt. Mercy College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, as the alumni director.  After serving two terms as the vice president of the Sisters of Mercy in Cedar Rapids, Sr. Mary Lou began her ministry in health care as Director of Pastoral Care at Mercy Medical Center in 1988.  Her final active ministry was as Chaplain at the Dennis and Donna Oldorf Hospice House from 2007 – 2019.

Throughout her active ministry, Sr. Mary Lou served on various boards in Cedar Rapids, including Mt. Mercy College, Mercy Medical Center, Catherine McAuley Center and the National Czech and Slovak Museum.

After her retirement from active ministry, Sr. Mary Lou volunteered with the Catherine McAuley Center and the National Czech and Slovak Museum for many years.  She loved being around people and sharing her love of the Sisters of Mercy and their history, values and legacy. 

Sr. Mary Lou is survived by the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas with no immediate family members.  She was preceded in death by her parents, Ralph and Lenora Podzimek.

Memorials may be sent to the Sisters of Mercy, 1540 Midland Court NE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 52402 or the Catherine McAuley Center, 1220 Fifth Avenue SE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52403.

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Charities

The family greatly appreciates donations made to these charities in Sr. Mary Lou Podzimek, RSM 's name.

Catherine McAuley Center

1220 5th Avenue SE

Cedar Rapids,

Iowa

52403

cmc-cr.org

Sisters of Mercy

1540 Midland Court NE

Cedar Rapids,

Iowa

52402

Memories Timeline

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  1. Sister Mary Lou helped my family so much when my Dad was at the Hospice House. She was an angel to us, and we truly appreciate her kindness. Terese Pisarik

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    • I will miss having your light in the world, Sister Mary Lou. It was a privilege to work with you at Hospice, and I enjoyed hearing stories about the Sisters of Mercy, why you became a nun, and about growing up the only child of a pharmacist. Thank you for the memories and lessons.

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  2. She was so down to earth and so fun to be with..I was so glad that my mom and her were friends for so long..she was ready..so glad she was to be with all her childhood friends just a week ago.. I love her

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  3. Rest in the Lord’s peace Sister. You truly were a disciple of Jesus and deserving of all His love. A life well lived.

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  4. …a světlo věčné ať jí svítí.” Sestra Mary Lou byla hrdá na své české kořeny. S bratrancem Frankem Thomasem v osmdesátých letech minulého století navštívila zemi svých předků, zajeli tehdy i do kolébky našeho rodu, vesničky Stružinec u Jistebnice a dokonce se setkali i s několika vzdálenými příbuznými. Nikdy jsem se s ní nesetkal, ale s Frankem Thomasem Podzimkem jsem si několik let dopisoval a byl jsem mu vděčný za to, jak mi přiblížil osudy mých příbuzných v Iowě. On naopak byl nadšen z našeho společného rodokmenu, který počíná před rokem 1560.

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  5. Sister Mary Lou was the eldest of our Shuell/Gallagher cousins – in our childhoods we saw her infrequently as she began her devoted career in Iowa, as we were miles away in California. As the years went by Sister Mary Ralph made a sincere effort to be in touch with us, and became a blessing and a joy with her more frequent visits. I’m grateful to have loving memories of a remarkable woman, serving with honesty and humor, and lasting faith. But we will miss her.

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