Josephine A. Gardner was born July 25, 1912, at home, in Omaha, Nebraska. Her parents were Sabastiano and Sabastiana DiMauro, Immigrant-Americans from Sicily. After eighth grade, she went to Boyles Business College in Omaha. Upon graduation, she began work to help support her family. In 1930 she made her first trip to Okoboji where she met the love of her life, Roland Gardner. During the thirties, Josephine worked different jobs in Omaha and traveled around the country participating in Table Tennis tournaments. Many of which she won.

She wed Roland Gardner in 1943 when he joined the Army Air Corps during WWII. She traveled to various Army posts with her husband during his training before being shipped overseas. At each post she set up table tennis centers for the soldiers.

After the war she helped her husband establish a taxicab business in Miami Beach, Florida. She also raised three sons. Summers were spent returning to Okoboji. The family moved to Omaha to be closer to the lakes they loved. There she worked at Brandeis Department Store and did the accounting for famous Johnny’s Café in South Omaha. They operated Gardner’s Cottages on West Lake Okoboji from 1960 until Roland’s death in 1986.

She is survived by sons, Joseph and wife, Bernice, of Spencer, son Anthony and wife, Joyce, of Arnolds Park, and son, Jim of Omaha, sister, Louise Kojdecki of Omaha, brother, Sam DiMauro, and wife, Beverly, of Omaha, brother, Frank DiMauro and wife, Ruth, of Westminster Colorado, many nieces and nephews, 4 grandchildren and 1 great grand-daughter. She was preceded in death by a brother, Ross DiMauro and sister, Rose Marcoe.

IN MEMORY
Josephine Gardner
July 25, 1912
April 13, 2007

SERVICE
Turner Funeral Home
Milford, Iowa
Tuesday, April 17, 2007 2:00 PM

CLERGYMAN
Pastor Jerry Mercer

MUSIC
Bob Floss, Musician
On Eagles Wings
Beyond The Sunset
How Great Thou Art

PALLBEARERS
Timothy Gardner
Bernie DiMauro
Ross DiMauro
Don Ward
Jim DiMauro
Skip Padraza

INTERMENT
Okoboji Cemetery
Arnolds Park, Iowa


Mother
Mother is so dear to me
Loving and caring as she can be
Always there with a helping hand
Helping me make a castle out of sand.
Getting us ready to go to school
Picking us up to go to the pool
What a treat to stay up late
Doing things with her, what a date!
Thank you Mom for who you are
There is no one who can compare.
Are you thinking about your Mother?
Good for you, she is like no other.
For the many things God has given me
Thank you Mother for caring for me
For raising me up to be like Dad
You did a great job, it is not so bad.
Now time to end this poem to be
With much love, don’t you agree?
Written by Joseph Gardner 1-3-2006