Renata L Birky

RENATA L. BIRKY, 90, of Cherokee, Iowa passed away on Monday morning, February 28, 2022 at Accura Healthcare of Cherokee. Funeral services will be held on Friday, March 4, 2022 at 10:30 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church in Cherokee, Iowa. Pastor Jonathan Riggert will officiate. Burial will be made in Oak Hill Cemetery at Cherokee, Iowa. Renata was born on March 6, 1931 to Oscar and Laura (Besmer) Heller 10 miles outside of Wisner, Nebraska on the family farm. She attended country school and then graduated from Wisner High School in Wisner, Nebraska in 1950. Renata moved to Cherokee in 1954. She was married to Elmer Birky on December 29, 1955 at the Zion Lutheran Church outside of Wisner, Nebraska. Over the years she worked at Daylight Donuts, Jesse's Fine Meats and Hy-Vee in the bakery. She retired in March 1993. She was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Cherokee, Iowa, where she was involved in quilting. Renata loved playing cards, crocheting and enjoyed golfing. She liked to sew and ride the motorcycle with Elmer. She loved her family, especially her grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Elmer Birky in 2018, son Lane Birky in 2021, sister Lucille Luedke, brothers Melvern Heller and Merlin Heller, sisters-in-laws Dorothy Farenholz and Caroline (George) Anderson, father-in-law and mother-in-law, Joe and Phoebe Birky, brothers-in-law Marcellous Luedke, Frank Christensen, Jim Flowers, Marv Kindschuh, and David English. Renata is survived by her daughter, Sandra (Brian) Martin of Storm Lake, Iowa; daughter-in-law Erika Birky of Calimesa, California; five grandchildren AJ, Sam, Bella, Alana, and Michael; siblings, Marrion Christensen, LaVina Flowers, Betty Lou (Richard) Lines, Beverly Kindschuh, Ruth (Duane) English, Janet English, and Karen (Steve) Young; also several nieces and nephews. Boothby Funeral Home