Lennice Lorraine Pakala

Lennice Lorraine Pakala, 95, of Cedar Falls, passed away at her son's home in Ypsilanti, Michigan, on Saturday, March 23, 2024.  She was born in Nunda, South Dakota, on October 13, 1928, daughter of Charles and Elsie (Winklepleck) Sapp.  Lennice graduated from Egan High School, then completed a short teacher's program at Madison State College (SD) and taught, for a while, at a one-room schoolhouse.  On June 17, 1953, she married George W. Pakala in Volga, South Dakota.  While George was working on his Masters Degree at Purdue, Lennice was employed by a high security statistics laboratory reviewing aerial war photos.  Following George's graduation, the couple moved to Iowa where he worked for John Deere and Lennice was a homemaker and mother to their five children.

Lennice was preceded in death by her parents; husband; sisters: Charlotte (in infancy), Freeda Lefever and Betty Jo Fish; her brothers, Oscar "Earl" and Charles Sapp; and a great-granddaughter, EllaMae Rickelman.  She is survived by her sons: Leino (Sally) Pakala of Ypsilanti, MI, Lyle (Carol) Pakala of Cedar Falls and Lynn (Gayl) Pakala of Dike; 2 daughters, Gayle (Rich) Mazzarella of Waterloo and Grace (Michael) Dickey of Cedar Falls; 28 grandchildren; 34 great-grandchildren with two more on the way; and a brother-in-law, Phares Lefever of Orange City.

Lennice's Visitation will be from 4-7:00 pm on Friday, March 29, 2024, at Dahl-Van Hove-Schoof Funeral Home of Cedar Falls.  A Private Funeral Service will be held for extended family at 10:00 am on Saturday, March 30, 2024 with Burial at Greenwood Cemetery.  Memorials may be directed to Manna Worldwide to support Lennice's granddaughter, Allison Mazzarella's ministry to children in the Philippines.

Lennice's true identity resided in her Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.  Her greatest earthly joy was found in being a homemaker; wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.  She will be missed by those who knew and loved her with the assurance of seeing her again, one day, in heaven.