Rosalie Van Gundy

Rosalie Van Gundy, 98, formerly of Fort Dodge, Iowa, died June 23, 2010, at the Amelia House in Council Bluffs.

Rosalie J. Pieracci, the daughter of Orlando and Filomena (Piacentini) Pieracci, was born March 12, 1912, in Ankeny, Iowa. She graduated from Ankeny High School and attended Iowa Teachers College. She taught at Oakdale and Centerville before working for Jean Sardou Photography in Little Rock, Ark. She moved to Sioux City, Iowa, where she met her future husband William Van Gundy. The couple was married on July 28, 1946, and made their home in Fort Dodge. She taught sixth grade at Riverside School. Education was so important to Rosalie that she obtained her Bachelors of Education degree from University of Northern Iowa at the age of 63.

Her husband William preceded her in death in 1997; and she made her home in Des Moines and later Council Bluffs to be near her children.

While in Fort Dodge she was a member of First United Methodist Church, Story Tellers Club, Blanden Art Museum, Women's Club, and Nation Education Assoc. She cherished her family, had a love of learning, reading, art and an amazing sense of humor.

She was preceded in death by her husband; her daughter, Jeannine Peterson in 2003; infant son, Daniel; her siblings, Bruna Pieracci, Roger Pierce, and Mary Schwartz.

She is survived by her son, Ben (Julie) Van Gundy, Apple Valley, Minn.; her daughter, Deb (Tom) Lowndes, of Council Bluffs; her son-in-law, Gary Peterson, of Atlanta, Ga.; 7 grandchildren, Carrie Dunn, Christy Harbuck, Sara Grover, Matt Van Gundy, Ryan Van Gundy, Abby (Joe) Strande, and Meg Lowndes; 7 great grandchildren, Garrett, Nick and Neena Harbuck, Levi, Cole and Rosaleigh Grover, and Maddie Dunn.

Funeral services will be held 11 a.m., Monday, June 28, 2010, at the Gunderson Funeral Chapel in Fort Dodge with visitation held 10 a.m., one hour prior to the service, at the funeral home. Interment will be held in North Lawn Cemetery. Memorials may be directed towards the Blanden Art Museum, Fort Dodge.

This obituary was originally published in The Daily Nonpareil.