Caroline Lala
October 7, 1937 — September 14, 2020
Caroline Lala, 82, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, died Monday, September 14, 2020, at her home. Visitation: 5 – 8 p.m. Thursday, September 17, 2020, at Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Center Point. Graveside Service: 1 p.m. Friday, September 18, at Walker Cemetery, Walker, Iowa. All guests are respectfully requested to wear a mask and practice social distancing and please bring a chair for the graveside service.
Caroline was born in Iowa on October 7, 1937, the daughter of George and Inez (Vredenburg) Coberly. When she was young she worked at Collins Radio. She married Gene M. Lala on December 29, 1959, in Cedar Rapids and fell in love with the farm life with Gene. Later in life she also worked at Hunters Specialties, K’s Merchandise and at Non-Profit Services.
Caroline’s love for singing took her all over the state. She sang with Cedar Valley Sweet Hearts, Kenny Hofer Band and Johnny Ketelsen Band. She enjoyed visiting nursing homes to perform and also played the accordion. Caroline loved everything about family, especially watching her grandkids dance. She was like a surrogate mother to her friends and their family. She loved to cook, clean and bake. Caroline would hunt, fish, go to tractor pulls, race snowmobiles, and drove tractors at Farm Progress. She had a large garden and maintained the farm even after Gene passed away. Caroline will be missed by all of those who knew and loved her.
Survivors include her children, Mike Lala of Vinton, Mark (Sandy) Lala of Center Point and Collene Lovell of Cedar Rapids; eight grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; siblings, Mary Pederson of Monticello, Cleve (Doris) Coberly of Center Point and Mildred Boland of Glendale, Arizona.
Caroline was preceded in death by her parents, George and Inez; husbands, Melvin McArthur and Gene Lala; siblings, Gladys Snethen, Arlene Robinson, Dorothy Snethen, Ruby Mollenhauer, Arnold Coberly and John Coberly; and daughter-in-law, Lisa M. Lala.
Caroline was born in Iowa on October 7, 1937, the daughter of George and Inez (Vredenburg) Coberly. When she was young she worked at Collins Radio. She married Gene M. Lala on December 29, 1959, in Cedar Rapids and fell in love with the farm life with Gene. Later in life she also worked at Hunters Specialties, K’s Merchandise and at Non-Profit Services.
Caroline’s love for singing took her all over the state. She sang with Cedar Valley Sweet Hearts, Kenny Hofer Band and Johnny Ketelsen Band. She enjoyed visiting nursing homes to perform and also played the accordion. Caroline loved everything about family, especially watching her grandkids dance. She was like a surrogate mother to her friends and their family. She loved to cook, clean and bake. Caroline would hunt, fish, go to tractor pulls, race snowmobiles, and drove tractors at Farm Progress. She had a large garden and maintained the farm even after Gene passed away. Caroline will be missed by all of those who knew and loved her.
Survivors include her children, Mike Lala of Vinton, Mark (Sandy) Lala of Center Point and Collene Lovell of Cedar Rapids; eight grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; siblings, Mary Pederson of Monticello, Cleve (Doris) Coberly of Center Point and Mildred Boland of Glendale, Arizona.
Caroline was preceded in death by her parents, George and Inez; husbands, Melvin McArthur and Gene Lala; siblings, Gladys Snethen, Arlene Robinson, Dorothy Snethen, Ruby Mollenhauer, Arnold Coberly and John Coberly; and daughter-in-law, Lisa M. Lala.
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