Lorraine F. (Gibbs) Boffeli

Lorraine F. Boffeli, 93, of Manchester, Iowa, passed away on Sunday, October 6, 2024, at the Good Neighbor Home in Manchester.  She was born on April 7, 1931, at Earlville, the daughter of William “Bill” and Anna (Klinkner) Gibbs. Lorraine attended St. Joseph Catholic School in Earlville through 8th grade and then graduated from Earlville High School.

On August 11, 1949, she was united in marriage to Allan Peter Boffeli in St. Joseph Catholic Church in Earlville. Six children were born into this union. As her family grew, Lorraine went back to school and received a degree as a dietitian. Lorraine worked at the Edgewood Convalescent Home as a cook and as a nurse’s aide when she wasn’t working in the kitchen.  In her retirement she moved to Manchester. Lorraine was a great volunteer working for Camp Courageous on Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings and at St. Mary Catholic School. Other places you may have seen Lorraine were at her doll business at Evers Toy Store in Dyersville and working at Walmart and craft shows.

Lorraine was a member of St. Mary Catholic Church in Manchester and in her free time loved to travel and sew quilts. One year for the Gibbs family reunion she made all the veterans a lap quilt. One of her biggest accomplishments was the Gibbs Family Cookbook.  Most of all Lorraine loved to spend time with her family.

Survivors include her two daughters, Marianne (Mike) Curran of Dubuque and Joni Whaley of Elkader; one daughter-in-law, Cindy (Jim) Freiburger of Delhi; several grandchildren and great-grandchildren; her sister, Lucille Holtz; and several nieces and nephews.

Lorraine was preceded in death by her parents, William and Anna Gibbs; her husband, Allan Boffeli in 1993; her four sons, Michael in 1964, Patrick in 1988, Robert and Chris Boffeli in 2020; a grandson, Matthew Gentz in 2016; her four brothers, Glen “Bud” Gibbs, William “Bill” Gibbs, Earl Gibbs, and Charles Gibbs in infancy; her four sisters, Jean Hampton, Virginia Leslein, Margaret Hach, and Carol Raithel.

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