Olga "Ole" McNamara, 96, of Anamosa, died Wednesday, March 4, 2026, at Woodland Place in Anamosa.

Funeral services will be held at 1:30 pm Tuesday, March 10, 2026, at Goettsch Funeral Home, Anamosa. Rev. Sean Smith will officiate. Burial will be in Holy Cross Cemetery. The family will greet friends from 12:30pm to the time of service. Please use the Guestbook to share your thoughts, memories, and condolences.

Olga Barbara Bena was born February 22, 1930, in Cedar Rapids, the daughter of Anthony Thomas and Olga (Suchomel) Bena. She grew up on a farm five miles east of Cedar Rapids and attended Rosedale #2, a two-room country school, through eighth grade. She went on to graduate from McKinley High School in 1948. She worked in the office at the Peter Pan Bread Bakery before her children were born. She met Cletus McNamara at Danceland in Cedar Rapids in 1949, and they were married on October 3, 1950, at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Cedar Rapids. They lived in Anamosa and bought a small farm two miles from the city in 1954. They had a son, Douglas, and a daughter, Sandra.

Clete bought Tyler and Downing Grocery and Meat Market with his friend Buddy Downing in 1950. Ole was a stay-at-home Mom with two children, 800 laying hens, a few pigs, a dog, and barn cats, a big garden, many flowers, and a large lawn. After the children got out of school Ole got out of the chicken business and helped out in the office of the store. Clete checked on 62 head of cattle that were in the "rented out" pasture when he got home from the store.

Clete passed away in 2020, just 2 ½ months before they would celebrate their 70th anniversary. She is survived by her daughter, Sandra Tonne Zahs (Don), three grandchildren Tina Tonne, Stefanie Tonne-Jones (Nate) and Bret McNamara (Robyn), three great grandchildren Gavin McNamara, Louis Jones, and Braxton Jones, a daughter-in-law Kimberly McNamara, as well as many nieces and nephews.

Ole was a member of St. Patrick's Church in Anamosa, where she helped with many funeral dinners served there.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Cletus, her son Douglas, her siblings and their spouses Charles (Alma) John, Mary Ann (Paul) Syroid, Dorothy (Marvin) Nemecek, Tom (Virginia) Bena, John (Faye) Bena, and Emilie (Bernard) Suchomel.

Clete and Ole loved attending the kids' activities in school and out, and the great grandchildren's visits after their school day. They also loved to dance, go on bus trips to Branson, Missouri, and spend time with their family. They enjoyed many years on the farm, and after moving, enjoyed their new neighborhood friends in town.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Camp Courageous in Monticello.