Gloria "Fern" (Litchenwald) Cassabaum

Gloria “Fern” Cassabaum of Columbus Junction died on Thursday October 15th, 2020 at her home.  Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 20, 2020 at the Snyder & Hollenbaugh Funeral and Cremation Services of Columbus Junction.  Burial will follow the services at Columbus City Cemetery.  Visitation for Gloria will be from 10:00 a.m. until service time on Tuesday at the funeral home.  A memorial has been established at the funeral home in memory of Gloria.  Online condolences may be left to the family at www.sandhfuneralservice.com

Gloria Fern Lichtenwald was born on December 27, 1944 in Rock Island County, Il. the daughter of Henry  and Margaret (Koepping) Lichtenwald.  Gloria married Eugene Cassabaum on August 31, 1963.

Fern loved to spend time with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  She always enjoyed a cup of coffee or a meal with friends and family.  She will be fondly remembered as a “Mom” to many.  Fern was the kind of person who would help anyone and she loved animals. If a stray dog showed up she would find them a place to sleep and a bowl of food. After Gene died in 1986 Fern worked tirelessly to successfully save the family farm.  Fern worked at the Taste Rite for about six years.  Later she drove the Columbus Community School bus.  She retired from the University of Iowa Quad Rangle.   She loved canning foods, watching and reading murder mysteries and going to Flea Markets looking for books on Fu Manchu and Edgar Rice Burroughs. 

Survivors include two daughters Maria Cassabaum of Lone Tree and Jennifer (Mark) Lowe of Columbus Junction;  one son, Christopher of Columbus Junction; three grandchildren, Anna (Ben) Hartman,  Noah Lowe and Nate Lowe; two great-grandchildren, Olive and Juniper Hartman;  two brothers, Donald of Muscatine and Gary of Mount Ida, Arkansas; one sister, Alice Winkle of Muscatine.   

Fern was preceded in death by her husband, Gene; her parents, Henry and Margaret Lichtenwald; seven sisters, Helen Brown, Louise Smith, June Peak, Sally Hearst, Norma Jean Stoneking, Peggy Wells, and Grace Fordham; one brother, Lonnie and one great-granddaughter, Baby Fern Hartman.

The family would like to send a special thank you to Iowa City Hospice and the UIHC palliative care team in assisting Fern in her wish to be home with her children and grandchildren.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Gloria "Fern" (Litchenwald) Cassabaum, please visit our floral store.