Dolores Mary Geneser

1936 - 2020

Dolores Mary (Mataya) Geneser

Woodward - Dolores Mary (Mataya) Geneser, 84, passed away after a long battle with Alzheimer's Disease on Thursday, February 20, 2020, with her husband by her side. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday February 25, at Assumption Catholic Church in Granger, where the family will receive friends one hour prior to the service. Cremation will follow services and burial of the urn will be at Beaver Catholic Cemetery at a later date.

Dolores was born February 15, 1936, in Madrid, Iowa to Vance and Penechie (Battani) Mataya. She had fond memories growing up watching black and white movies at the Madrid movie theater and singing out loud on her walk home. She was selected to the All-State Choir her senior year at Madrid High School. After graduating in 1954, she worked for Look Magazine in Des Moines.

Dolores married Leo William "Bill" Geneser of Granger on April 16, 1955. Bill and Dolores laughed and enjoyed the next 64 years together farming, working side-by-side at the grain elevator, traveling, golfing and playing cards with friends. They critiqued each other's golf swing and squabbled over missed putts from Long Beach, California to Ocean City, Maryland and from El Paso, Texas to Lake Placid, New York. In between rounds they raised five children, Gary, Lorraine (David) Nixon, Perry (Becky), Joseph (Judy), and Christopher (Lisa) on a farm outside Granger, Iowa.

Dolores is survived by her husband Bill, all her children and three brothers: Harry Mataya, John Mataya and Lou Mataya (Sandy), her sister-in-law, Doris Mataya, her 17 grandchildren: Jeremy (Leslie) Nixon, Sarah (Colby) Springer, Ashley (Robert) Hontz, Ashley (Levi) Keech, Emily (Doug) Schroeder, Jerilyn Geneser, Andrew Nixon, Josh (Michelle) Geneser, Luke (Valerie) Geneser, Michael Geneser, Daniel (Taylor) Geneser, Tristan Peterson, Riley Geneser, Natalie Geneser, Jerome Geneser, Leo Geneser, and Peter Geneser; her 11 great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, older siblings: Pastor Joseph Mataya and Caroline Doran/Schiele, and sisters-in-law: Pat Mataya and Delores Mataya.

Dolores was a loving mother and sister to her family and a great friend to many. Even though Alzheimer's began stealing her away from us eight years ago little by little, it also gave us the opportunity to be of service to her and cherish our time spent with her.

Dolores's family express their profound gratitude to the staff at the Perry Lutheran Home for their years of wonderful care. We would also like to thank St. Croix Hospice for their compassionate care. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Knights of Columbus Scholarship Fund or Perry Lutheran Home.