Margaret "Mydge" Ellen (Hewitt) Krob, 81, of Solon passed away peacefully on Friday, December 6 at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics after a sudden illness, surrounded by her family. Visitation will be on Thursday, December 12, from 5 to 7 pm at St. Mary Catholic Church of Solon. Funeral Mass will be 10:30 am on Friday, December 13, at St. Mary Catholic Church, with Fr. Charles Fladung presiding. Burial will be at Sts. Peter and Paul Cemetery in rural Solon. Brosh Chapel and The Avacentre in Solon are in charge of arrangements.
Mydge was born on September 16, 1943, in Moline, Illinois, the youngest of three children to Ransom Terry and Cora Florence (Lievens) Hewitt. Mydge graduated in 1961 from Alleman Catholic High School and was united in marriage to Duane Krob on February 24, 1962. She began her working career with John Deere in Moline, which she enjoyed greatly. Children arrived quickly and after Duane's graduation from college, they located in Muscatine, Iowa, where, after three boys, a long-awaited daughter was born. Mydge worked full time as a legal secretary for a law firm in town while caring for the needs of a young family. It was during this time that she earned her Certified Professional Secretary rating. After moving to Charles City, Iowa in 1975, she continued working full-time as a legal secretary for different law firms while seeing to the needs of four kids and their increasing activities. In 1980, the family moved to Solon, Iowa where Mydge worked to keep the books for the newly created family business, Foundry Equipment Company. She was an important asset to the team for many years until she decided to pursue a lifelong dream of attending college. She proudly graduated with honors from the University of Iowa with an accounting degree in 1995 and remained a loyal Hawkeye ever since. She completed her working career with the Johnson County Auditor's office, retiring in 2012.
Family was important to Mydge, including family vacations. Some were definitely more memorable than others, and she was quick to point out that the family seemed to continually travel under a black cloud with something always going wrong. She loved to talk about the year the family ventured to Canada, to the far north end of Big Sand Lake, by boat, and pitch a tent for the week. Never having tent-camped anywhere before such a venture, the rookies packed along everything but the kitchen sink. The week ended early, and was declared over, after a black bear demolished the food tent, about 20 feet away from the sleeping tent. A follow-up visit never occurred.
Mydge found great joy in sewing. For many years, she and her sister Mary Jo enjoyed traveling to sewing classes and fabric stores, where they were well known. In recent years, after moving to the Solon Independent Living, working jigsaw puzzles and crossword puzzles became a favorite activity, along with following the Iowa Hawkeyes, particularly the women's basketball team. Any time the Hawks were on TV, you could count on her cheering them on.
Although never an Optimist Club member herself, she fully supported Duane's advancements through the leadership ranks of Optimist International. She attended many conferences and conventions with Duane, which combined her joy of spending time with close friends made within the organization with her joy of traveling throughout the country. This love of traveling led to international traveling and eventually motor home travel. She had many life-long friends within the Iowa District Past-Governors association.
Her Catholic upbringing included St. Anne's for elementary school, Alleman High School, marriage at St. Anne's Catholic Church in Moline, enrolling kids in Catholic elementary schools in Muscatine and Charles City, and involvement in Alter & Rosary Societies in each parish throughout her adult life. She was active helping with many funeral dinners, receptions, and cookie walks, as well as providing food and baked goods for many events. She was a part of the new church building committee, a 25-year member of the finance committee and part of the fundraising committee for both the new church and the new social hall.
Those left to share memories of Mydge are her children; Joe (Becky) of Solon, Terry of Shueyville, Kendall of Swisher, and Melissa Krob (Dan Grimm) of Solon; grandchildren, Stephanie (Sam) Early and Nick (Stephanie) Krob of Des Moines, Kolton (Mallorie) Krob of Swisher, and Jaley, Jamison, and Jake Grimm of Solon; great-grandchildren, Louise, Isaac, Reece, Norma, Knox, Louise (Lou-Lou), and Kooper; her brother-in-law Kevin (Sherri) Krob of Solon, sister-in-law Michelle Lenz (Donny Miller) of Solon, and sister-in-law Chloe Hewitt of Moline; as well as many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 60 years in 2022, her parents, her brother Dick, her sister Mary Jo Kline, her father-in-law Joe Krob and stepmother-in-law Betty Krob, her brother-in-law Stewart Kline, and brother-in-law Mike Krob.
Memorials may be directed to St. Mary Catholic Church of Solon or Optimist International Foundation.
The family would like to extend a heartfelt thank-you to the entire staff of UIHC (Main Campus and Downtown Campus), and especially the MICU team, for their professional and compassionate care during a very challenging time. We deeply feel that Mom received the very best of care.
Online condolences may be expressed to the family at www.broshchapel.com.