Agnes Antonie Vavra, 96, of Ely, died Sunday, January 13, 2008, at Mercy Medical Center following a short illness.  Services will be 11:00 a.m. Friday January 18 at First Presbyterian Church near Ely with Rev. Heather Hayes presiding.  Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, January 17 at Brosh Chapel in Cedar Rapids and for an hour prior to services Friday at the church.

Agnes was born in Linn County, Iowa on Nov 18, 1911, the daughter of Joseph and Antonie (Rousar) Kriz.  She attended Belle Prairie country school and graduated from Washington High School in 1929.  She married Arnold C. Vavra on Feb 25, 1936.  She was a secretary at the Iowa Masonic Library. Agnes was involved in many church and school activities as she raised her sons.  She was a member of the Johanna Society, the United Presbyterian Women, the Ely Friendship Club, and the Ely Library Board.  She was an elder at the First Presbyterian Church near Ely, and the first Librarian at the Ely Library.

Agnes is survived by her sons, Thomas, Robert (Betty), William (Marian), grandchildren Matthew (Sarah), Andrea (Mathias), Nicholas, and Christina, brother-in-law Charles (Irene), and nephews and nieces.

Agnes was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, her sisters Anna, Lydia, Mary, Emma, and her brothers Joseph, Charles and George.

Memorials may be directed in her name to the First Presbyterian Church near Ely.