Joan "Jo" Victoria Sokol

Joan "Jo" Victoria Sokol of Lincoln, formerly of Columbus, died Wednesday, February 12 in Lincoln.

Mass of Christian Burial is 10:00 am Saturday, February 22 at St. Isidore Catholic Church in Columbus.  There will be a Catholic Daughters Rosary on Friday, February 21 at 3:30 pm, also at St. Isidore Church.  Visitation will continue on that Friday from 4-6 pm.  There will be a parish Vigil service at 6:00 pm Friday at St. Isidore's.  Interment is in All Saints Cemetery.

Live stream of service can be viewed here.

Joan "Jo" Victoria Sokol was born July 7, 1937, in Platte County, Nebraska on the farm to Leo Clement and Matilda Hedwig (Czapla) Kosiba.  She went to grade school at District 34 and Krakow Catholic Grade School along with Saint Stanislaus Catholic Grade School in Duncan. She graduated from Saint Joseph Convent High School in Denver, Colorado and attended Commercial Extension School in Omaha. Jo was the organist for Saint Stanislaus Church in Duncan from 1954 to and including 1960. Jo married Henry Joseph "Jack" Sokol, son of Leo C. and Helen (Czuba) Sokol, on Sunday, June 5, 1960 at Saint Stanislaus Catholic Church in Duncan, Nebraska.

Jo was a lifetime resident of Columbus, Nebraska. Before her marriage, she worked at Dale Products, Becton Dickinson and Habco Manufacturing. After her marriage, she was a homemaker and was the Music Liturgist for St. Isidore's parish for 16 years from 1970 to 1986. She also was St. Isidore's grade school Music Liturgist for 10 years from 1984 to 1994. She was a volunteer teacher aid for St. Isidore grade school from 1966 to 2008.

Jo was involved in many organizations throughout her life. She was a member, past chair lady and past president of the Christian Mothers. She was the past secretary, Vice Regent and Regent of Court of Little Flower # 988 of the Catholic Daughters of America. She was the founder of the local chapter WRAP Family (White Ribbon Against Pornography) in 2006. She was also a member of PATH (Pornography Awareness, Truth, and Healing) of the Archdiocese of Omaha for four years. Jo was an associate member of the Columbus Community Hospital Auxiliary, past volunteer for the United Way, former member and officer in the Columbus Women's Bowling Association. She was the winner of the Columbus Women's Masters Bowling Tournament in 1964, was a former member of the State Grand Bowling Team champions.  Jo was a member of Right to Life and Birthright Inc. She was past Co-President and Secretary of AFS (American Foreign Exchange Students). Jo was the recipient of the Sertoma Service to Mankind award in 1990 and was selected by the Chamber of Commerce for the Charles E Farnham volunteer of the year in 2005. She was a past member of the Board of Directors of the Platte County Historical Society and had the designation as an Honorary Admiral in the Nebraska Navy. Two of her special projects were with the printing of the 800+ page book the "Kosiba Family Book" printed in 1998 and the production of the two-hour DVD "Leo C. Sokol, Inventor and Industrialist" printed in 2010.

Survivors include:
Two sons, Jerry (Carla Schmidt) of Grand Island and Jim (Rachel Lippert) of Lincoln; five grandchildren - Jeremy (Holly) of Brookfield, Wisconsin, Christina (Jamie) Zima of St. Johns, Florida, Catherine of Lincoln, Jeffrey of Grand Island, and Jack Henry of Lincoln; 3 Great Granddaughters, Aunika Joy Zima, Kaylee Ann Zima and Lydia Jo Sokol; and two great-grandsons, Tyler James Zima and Benjamin Keith Sokol; four brothers - Louis Kosiba of St. Cloud, Minnesota; Leo W. (Elizabeth) Kosiba of St. Cloud, Minnesota; Edward (Loretta) Kosiba of Peachtree City, Georgia; and John Kosiba of Tuscon, Arizona; eight sisters:- Lucy Kosiba of Omaha, Nebraska; Rosaline (Tom) Flam of Kimball, Minnesota; Margaret Kosiba of Prescott Valley, AZ; Ann Schwartz of Hutchinson, Minnesota; Patricia Caffrey of Astoria, Oregon; Louise (Lon) Tastad of Ruskin, Florida; Bernadette Schreiber of Orlando, Florida; and Jacqueline (Kevin) Shotkoski of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; sister-in-law, Mary Jane (Sokol) Van Berg of Lafayette, Colorado; and many nieces and nephews.

She is preceded in death by her parents and parents-in-law, husband in 2011, 2 sisters (Lucille Kosiba and Mary Jane Caputo) and 2 brothers (Dennis and Stanley); two sisters-in-law, Frances Sokol and Jean (Johnson) Sokol; three brothers and sisters-in-law - Emil and Mae Sokol, Glenn and Elsie (Sokol) Ball and Don and Joan (Stachura) Sokol; and two brothers-in-law, Scott Schwartz and Jim Caputo.

Memorials may be given for Masses for Henry Jack and Joan V. Sokol; or to St. Isidore's Church or Grade School, or to Court Little Flower #988, or donor's choice.