Dolores Spiegler

Dolores M. Spiegler, 86, of Waukon died Thursday, September 10, 2015 at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. Funeral services were held Monday, September 14 at St. John's Lutheran Church in Waukon, with Rev. Lynn G. Groe officiating. Burial was at Oakland Cemetery, Waukon.
Dolores May Zupke Spiegler was born May 9, 1929 in rural Sumner, the daughter of Edward and Mable (Timm) Zupke. She was baptized at St. Paul's Richfield Lutheran Church in rural Sumner. She and her family moved to Milwaukee, WI while her father attended barber school. They lived in Eastman, WI for a short time before moving to Waukon in 1934.
Dolores was confirmed at St. John's Lutheran Church in Waukon and graduated from Waukon High School in 1946. After graduation she went to La Crosse, WI and worked as a nurse's aide at the Lutheran Hospital until 1948. She then returned to Waukon and worked for Dr. R.H. Wheat as a dental assistant. Dolores worked there before she was married and after.
She and Dale Spiegler were just friends in high school and never dated. He was a senior and played football and Dolores was a cheerleader. Their first time together was at a dance in Waterville the night before he was inducted into the Army and two weeks after he graduated. Dale asked Dolores to write him while he was gone and she did. Dolores still has all his letters while he was in the service as well as the letters she wrote while she was working in La Crosse, WI.
May 17, 1949, she married Dale Burton Spiegler at St. John's Lutheran Church; they were married 53 years. Dolores also worked for Hammell Jewelry and managed the Second Times store for nine years.
She was a member of St. John's Lutheran Church, where she was active in its ladies circles. Dolores was a volunteer at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. She was a den leader for Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. Dolores and Dale loved to dance to the big band era music and attended many of the name bands that played at the Waukon Opera House. They followed all of their children’s sporting activities (football, baseball, basketball and softball) in high school and college, and later they followed their grandchildren's activities. Dolores and Dale bowled together in a couple's league. She enjoyed hosting friends for coffee, playing golf, playing cards, liked to play bingo, and loved her pets.
Survivors include her children: Bob (Karen) Spiegler of Mankato, MN, Kristine (Norm Anderson) Spiegler of Dubuque and Dave (Hyun Joo) Spiegler of Chicago, IL; three grandchildren: Courtney (Kevin) Kelly, Ben Spiegler and Chris (Monica) Spiegler; three great-grandchildren: Madie and Eleanor Kelly and Ava Spiegler; extended family: Khris (Mike) Moser, Karl (fiancé Kelly) Anderson and their children, and Karin (Cory Lambert) Anderson and their children.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Dale, who died in 2002; a son, Dennis; two sisters, Shirley Crawford and Bernette Opheim; a brother, Donald Zupke; and an infant sister, Doris.
Casketbearers were Ben and Chris Spiegler, Norm Anderson and Mike Moser. Online condolences may be left at www.martinfunerals.com.