Tillie Mary Varilek

CON-CELEBRANTS
Fr. Joseph Forcelle
Fr. Gerald Thury
MUSIC
Organist ~  Marcene Kniffen
“How Great Thou Art”
“Precious Lord”
“Only a Shadow”
“In the Garden”
“The Lord’s Prayer”
“O, Loving God”
HONORARY CASKETBEARERS
Tillie’s Daughters ~ JoAnn & Irene
Members of the Czech Heritage Preservation Society
CASKETBEARERS
Tillie’s Sons
Francis, Daniel, Thomas, David, Charles, and Kenneth
Tillie Mary Varilek was born on Sunday, December 2, 1917 in Bon Homme County near Tyndall, South Dakota to Vaclav and Anastasia (Blaha) Plavec. She attended the Stekly School through the 8th grade. Tillie was united in marriage to Frank H. Varilek on June 21, 1938 at Tabor, South Dakota. They farmed until 1964 when they moved to Tyndall. Tillie worked at the Tyndall Good Samaritan Center for one year as a cook, then worked at various jobs at St. Michael’s Hospital for 8½ years. She worked in the cafeteria at the Tyndall School for 9 years and also part-time at the Tyndall Bakery. She was a member of St. Leo Catholic Church and the St. Leo Altar Society, the National Catholic Society of Foresters, the Czech Heritage Preservation Society and the Tyndall Senior Citizens. Tillie was devoted to her faith and participated in the St. John Bosco Study Group and the de Colores Cursillo group. She was also a member of the T.O.P.S. Club (later named “Yes, Yes I Can”), St. Michael’s Hospital Auxiliary, the Good Samaritan Guild, and served on the Site Council for the local senior nutrition program. She loved to play cards and enjoyed playing Pinochle with her card club. In her retirement, she was an active senior citizen and loved to take trips and visit family. She had been recognized during Older Americans Month as an “Outstanding Senior Achiever” by the South Dakota Department of Adult Services and Aging.
Tillie passed away on Saturday, March 10, 2012 at St. Michael’s Hospital Avera at the age of 94 years, 3 months and 8 days. She will live on in the hearts of her six sons and two daughters: Francis Varilek and Sally Boyd of Mission Hill, Daniel Varilek of Tyndall, JoAnn (John) Jonas of Yankton, Irene Koranda of Tabor, Thomas (Dina) Varilek of Ankeny, Iowa, David Varilek of Tabor, Charles (Julie) Varilek of Estes Park, Colorado, and Kenneth (Jeanne) Varilek of Springfield; 20 grandchildren and 5 step-grandchildren; 27 great-grandchildren and 13 step-great-grandchildren; and 3 great-great-grandchildren. She is also survived by numerous nieces, nephews and friends.
In addition to her parents, Vaclav and Anastasia Plavec, Tillie was preceded in death by her husband, Frank, in August of 1985; a daughter, Henrietta, in 1942; a son-in-law, Donald Koranda, in 2008; a brother and sister-in-law, Frank (Anna) Plavec; and three sisters and brothers-in-law: Lillian (Joseph) Varilek, Rose (Henry) Teply, and Helen (Roy) Bower.