Dolores Rose Muhich

Dolores Rose Klobucar Muhich (1926-2025), age 98, passed away peacefully with her granddaughter, Tina Rose, at her bedside on April 24, 2025. A remembrance service is scheduled for 10 am on Tuesday, June 10th at Cook Walden Funeral Home, 6100 N. Lamar Blvd. Austin, Texas 78752, with a family gathering to follow. Dolores is preceded in death by her husband, Frank William Muhich Senior (October 16, 1918-July 22, 1990), her daughter, Marrietta Rose Muhich (September 6, 1949-June 16, 2019), and her son, Ronald Anthony Muhich (November 15, 1951-March 6, 2025). She is survived by her sons, Frank W. Muhich Jr. of Mahomet, Illinois, John S. Muhich and his wife Jeri of Austin Texas, 10 grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren. The last several years of her life, Dolores lived with her recently deceased son, Ron, his wife Barb, and their adult children Shannon and Ronnie, who lovingly cared for her in their home in Liberty Hill, Texas until her death.

Dolores was born on November 7, 1926, to Rose Slobodnik (1901-1953) and Stephen Klobucher (1896-1931). However, she was raised by her mother’s younger sister, Josie Slobodnik (1906-1997) and her husband, Albert Jurjevich (1896-1976). “Aunt Josie,” as she was known to all, moved to Austin, Texas in 1991 where Dolores cared for her until Aunt Josie’s death. Dolores married Frank William Muhich on June 16, 1946 in Joliet, Illinois. She met Frank while writing/conducting an operetta called “Romance of Old Slovenia” to raise money for St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in 1945 where Frank participated in the choir while on leave from the maritime service. They had 4 children together: Frank William (1947), Marietta Rose (1949), Ronald Anthony (1951), and John Stephen (1954).

Dolores supported a strong catholic education for her children. She earned several degrees, even studying abroad in Russia, Czechoslovakia and France for a summer in 1968. She then earned her PhD in Education from Southern Illinois University (SIU) in 1970 when women earning advanced degrees was not common. She furthered her education by performing psychology testing of children for schools in 1982. Over the years, she taught college courses in Illinois and then Austin, Texas and had her own insurance business for a time. Dolores fought for women’s rights and brought a lawsuit seeking civil damages for discriminatory wage practices against women in 1975, compared to male professors at SIU. She was a highly educated and physically active woman who loved birds, plants, and the outdoors. During her 40+ years of retirement, she was deeply involved in competitive ballroom dancing, jigsaw puzzles, Scrabble competitions and she was a voracious reader.

In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory can be made to a charity of your choosing.