Sonja Novak

Sonja Novak

Cedar Rapids

Sonja Novak, loving wife of Joe Novak, passed away suddenly on Feb. 24, 2023, at her home in Cedar Rapids.

Born Sonja Heihn on Dec. 28, at her grandparents’ farm near Wakonda (near Yankton), South Dakota, while her father was serving in the Marines in Pearl Harbor. The family moved to St. Paul, Minn., where Sonja went to grade school and junior high. They moved to Cedar Rapids, where she graduated from Washington High School.

After working for a short time at NW Bell, she left to attend Iowa State Teacher’s College (now UNI) for a short time after-which she took a position at Merchants National Bank, where she met her future husband Joe Novak who she married in 1965.

While spending several year raising their children Joe and Mike, she went back to NW Bell to do secretarial and blueprint work in the Engineering Department, secretarial work at Teleconnect, and was a principal’s secretary with the Marion School District. Sonja’s final position was with the Linn County Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities office. She also volunteered for the Linn County Food Bank.

Sonja loved animals and applying her creative talents through her amazing cooking and baking skills, sewing, home decorations and beautiful macrame work. She liked to bowl and was in the senior leagues with her husband Joe at May City Lanes. She was also a member at Calvary Baptist Church.

Sonja is survived by her husband of 57 years, Joe; her son, Joe and his, wife Karie of Maine; her son, Michael, wife, Vanna and grandkids, Abhram and Anaiah of Cedar Rapids; brother, Greg and wife Mary of Minnesota; and brother, Kevin and wife, Sandy of Minnesota.

She was cremated and no services are planned. A gathering of relatives and friends will be planned for later in the Spring.