Iva Marie Zajicek

Iva Marie (Foreman) Zajicek completed her earthly journey on April 22, 2015 in Loveland, Colorado. Iva was born on June 19, 1925 in Hastings, Nebraska to Laura and Harold Foreman. They moved to Grand Island, Nebraska where she attended elementary through high school. She graduated from Grand Island Senior High School in 1943. While growing up she enjoyed staying with her grandparents at the Buffalo Bill’s Tourist Camp, which they owned in North Platte, Nebraska. She worked in their café during the summers. This property had been part of the original Buffalo Bill Cody’s estate.

Iva attended the University of Nebraska in Lincoln for one year, starting in the fall of 1943. She married Jerome R. Zajicek from Cicero, Illinois on September 10, 1944. He was a member of the United States Army Air Corps. They lived in various locations in the States during Jerry’s military career. After Jerry left military service, Iva and Jerry moved to Grand Island, Nebraska, where they started raising their son (Jim) and daughter (Ashley). They moved to Lincoln where she attended the University of Nebraska and earned Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in education. She began her career in education as an elementary teacher in a small town in Nebraska. Iva and Jerry moved to Los Alamos, New Mexico in 1960, where Iva taught Art, Library, and in the elementary classroom.

From 1964 to 1968, Iva and Jerry lived in Kano, Nigeria. During this time, Iva worked with the Ohio University USAID project at Kano Teacher’s College, teaching language arts and supervising student teachers in the field.

From 1968 to 1981 Iva worked with a government Title 3 education project in Ohio, served as principal of an elementary school, and was a professor at Marietta College, Marietta, Ohio. She obtained her doctorate degree in elementary education and school administration from the University of Nebraska in 1978. Between 1981 and 1987, Iva and Jerry returned to Africa, living in Botswana and Swaziland, working for a University of South Dakota USAID project. She entered full time retirement in 1987.

Throughout her adult life she enjoyed family, friends, travel, reading, gardening, African arts and crafts and genealogy. She also was very interested in fabrics, quilting, embroidery, and beading.

Iva was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Windsor, Colorado, and she was an active member of the United Methodist Women. She was a member of the Friday’s Council Tree chapter of D.A.R. in Windsor, and a member of chapter DR, P.E.O., in Loveland.

Iva is survived by her son, James (Faye) Zajicek of Rio Vista, California, her daughter Ashley (John) Schmidt of Loveland, Colorado, her grandson Drew (Sonja) Zajicek of Alameda, California, and a great-grandson, Oliver Zajicek, of Alameda. Iva is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews and grand-nieces and grand-nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her brothers, John David Foreman and Mark Elden Foreman.

A Celebration of Her Life will be held at First United Methodist Church, 503 Walnut Street, Windsor, Colorado, on Friday, May 1, 2015 at 10 a.m. Inurnment will follow at a later date at Westlawn Cemetery in Grand Island, Nebraska.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Pathways Hospice or the First United Methodist Church of Windsor in care of Resthaven Funeral Home, 8426 S. College Avenue, Fort Collins, CO, 80525.