Barbara A. Nedved

Barbara A. Nedved, 95, of Garner, passed away Monday, January 15, 2024, at Westview Care Center in Britt.

A funeral mass will be held at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, January 20, 2024, at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church in Duncan with Fr. Andrew Marr officiating. Burial will be in St. John's Catholic Cemetery in Duncan.

To view her service on our YouTube Channel please click the following link:  https://youtu.be/1hR_7aGqnc0

Visitation will be held from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., Friday, January 19^th at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church in Duncan with a rosary at 4:00 p.m. followed by a Scriptural wake service. Visitation will continue one hour prior to services at the church on Saturday.

Barbara Ann Nedved, the daughter of John and Mary (Chizek) Liska, was born June 9, 1928, on a farm east of Hayfield. She was the youngest of 9 siblings. Barb was baptized and confirmed at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church in Duncan.  She graduated from Hayfield Consolidated School in 1945. Following graduation, she accepted a job at Rath Packing Company in Waterloo as a cashier department clerk. The following year she was asked to come back to Garner and accepted a job with Northwestern Bell Telephone Company. Barb enjoyed her work as an operator, and then, as the operator instructor, and on to be the commercial clerk. On August 3, 1948, she was married to Lewis L. Nedved at the church in Duncan. As Lewis was a farmer, he was able to rent a farm north of Duncan, not knowing this was to be their home for the next 38 years. Barb was a typical farm wife, helping with the chores, caring for the livestock, and then working the field for planting and harvesting. She was very active in her church activities as she served as president and treasurer of the Rosary Society. It was Barb’s idea in 1959 to approach the Rosary Society to publish a cookbook.  She served as co-chairman, and in January 1960, the first recipes came out as “Bake and Smile, Duncan Style.” Thousands of copies have been printed. She also had served as president and secretary on the church school council and was recording secretary of the Catholic Workman Branch for many years. She served as president of the Britt American Legion Auxiliary and was a lifetime member of the VFW Ladies Auxiliary in Garner.  Barb was secretary to the Hancock County Extension Council. In January of 1960, she was asked back to the telephone company as an operator and instructor, promoted to supervisor, and then, became the group chief operator until it went to dial service in January 1963. Her hobbies were never-ending, playing cards, she crafted a Holly Hobby Bulletin Board and pictures, and loved to play BINGO.  You would find her at school events for her children and grandchildren. She was an active member of the Birthday Club and Garfield Homemakers for many years. After her family became the farm helpers, she went back to work at Winnebago Stitchcraft and retired in 1995 at which time she and Lewis moved into their home in Garner.

Barb is survived by her children, Mary Ann (Loren) Michels of Green Valley, AZ, Tom (Rachel) Nedved of Eldora, Lew (Andrea) Nedved of Britt, and Jolene (Michael) Leerar of Garner; grandchildren, Katie (Martin Schoen) Michels, Jonathan Michels (fiancée, Madelyn Dorr), Alycia Michels (fiancé, Shep Sonstegard), Andrea (Eric) Magill and their two children, Ariel and Eli, Adrienne Nedved, Nathan Nedved, Kayla (Isaac) Holter and their two sons, Maverick and Brigston, and Jacob (Hanna) Leerar; sister-in-law, Marjorie Liska; sisters-in-law, Blanche Habermaier, Kathleen (Kitty) Nedved, and Sally (Bill) Bauer; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Lewis in May 2016; brothers, Leo, Walter, Donald, John and Cletus Liska; sisters, Veronica Thada, Doris Fosdick and Rosemary Schroeder.