Ethel Vavra

Graveside services for Ethel Vavra were held at the ZCBJ Cemetery, south of Winner, on January 22, 2022, with Rev. John Price of the Winner United Methodist Church officiating. Because of Covid, a memorial in her honor will be held at a later date.

Bob Vrbsky provided accordion music.

Ethel was born on the Colome family farm on September 16, 1925, to Martin and Mary (Veskrna) Vavra. She had three siblings. She attended the nearby rural school.

She grew up on the family farm. When her parents moved into town, she stayed on the farm with her brother George. Ethel enjoyed the farm life and raised and cared for many cats, chickens, ducks, and geese. She enjoyed going to dances in her young years, raising a garden of flowers (roses were her favorite) and vegetables, and reading. She stayed on the farm until March of 2020.

She never married and had no children.

Ethel enjoyed spending time with her family on holidays, birthdays, weddings, and especially with her nephews and nieces.

Ethel Irene Vavra, 96, of Winner, SD, passed away on Wednesday, January 12, 2022, at the Elder Inn in Winner, SD.

Ethel is preceded in death by her parents Martin John and Mary May Vavra; brothers Edward James, George John, and Joseph Martin Vavra; sisters Betty Ann Vavra and Lillian Christine Varilek; sister-in-law Donna Marie (Graham) Pajl Vavra; brother in-law George Varilek; niece Joann Smith; nephews Jim Varilek, Wayne Musilek, Lindy Gish, and Dennis Smith.

Ethel is survived by nephews James (Martha) Pajl, Randy Pajl, Martin Varilek, and LeRoy (Sheila) Varilek; nieces Karen (Dennis) Burdick, Janet Whittaker, Marilyn Gish, and Betty Musilek; numerous grand and great-grand nephews and nieces, cousins, and friends.