Valerie Gramlich Obituary

Valerie Christine Gramlich-Broderick, 41, of Urbandale, IA, passed away on Tuesday, October 1st, 2024, surrounded by her family at the Kavanaugh House in Des Moines, IA.

Memorial visitation will be from 5-7 pm Tuesday, October 8th, 2024, at Iles-Westover Chapel in Des Moines. Visitation in Waukon will be from 4-7 pm at the Martin Funeral Home on Friday, October 11th. Mass of Christian burial will be at 11 am Saturday, October 12th at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon , Burial is in the Oakland Cemetery in Waukon.

Valerie Christine Gramlich was born August 15th, 1983, in Waukon, IA, the daughter of Gerald (Jerry) and Mary (Berns) Gramlich. She was baptized and confirmed at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Waukon, IA. Valerie graduated from Waukon High School in 2002. Upon graduation from high school, she attended Wartburg College in Waverly, IA and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration. She excelled in education and this was shown with her receiving the highest of honors in Summa Cum Laude at Wartburg College.

After graduating from college in 2006, she started her professional career with Principal Financial Group where she worked for 18 years. She started as a dental claim examiner and completed her career as a software engineer for the Specialty Benefits division within Principal. In every facet of school and career, she was an exceptionally smart and knowledgeable individual that was always willing to offer a helping hand to others.

In a quaint covid restricted ceremony on March 13, 2021, she and Dan Broderick tied the knot in Bondurant, Iowa. Together, they explored the trails of Des Moines on their bikes, cheered on the Iowa State Cyclones, and created lasting memories on sunny Florida vacations.

One of Valerie’s great joys in life was to travel the world with her best friend Kara Kelley. The two of them were able to travel to Europe, Canada, and various cities across the United States. The highlights were seeing the Eiffel Tower and Louvre in Paris, Rhine Falls in Germany, cruising the canals in Amsterdam, and seeing the Biltmore in Asheville, North Carolina. When not traveling, Valerie loved to read a good book. This was equally important to her volunteer spirit as she volunteered time with Everybody Wins! Iowa chapter in Des Moines, where she would read with local children in school to improve their reading skills. Volunteering and giving back were integral parts of her spirit. She would regularly donate blood and plasma to LifeServe Blood Center where she donated over 18 gallons of blood in her lifetime.

Valerie was a proud Kansas City Chiefs fan alongside her dad and had great joy in watching them win Super Bowls in recent years. As a family affair, they were able to attend a Kansas City Chiefs game in 2018 where they beat her brother’s favorite team, the San Francisco 49ers.

Although she had no children, her godchildren (Brylie and Hudson Gramlich) would play that role for her. She loved to babysit them and do fun activities with them both. She always wanted to help shape them to become better individuals.

Valerie is survived by her husband, Dan and their two cats Eli and Opie. She is also survived by her parents Jerry and Mary Gramlich; her brother Bryan (Julie) Gramlich; and her niece and nephew: Brylie and Hudson Gramlich. She leaves behind her mother-in-law Pat Broderick; sister-in-laws Laura Van Valkenburg and Jane Broderick; nieces Nicole, Sydney, Brooke, and Ava; many cherished aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.

She was preceded in death by her grandparents Daniel and Ella Mae Gramlich and Leo and Lucille Berns; aunts Linda Kirkeby and Margaret Krambeer; uncles Eugene Berns, Bob Smrcina, and Ken Lough; cousins Kimberly Wilhem and Brad Berns; father-in-law Richard Broderick; and sister-in-law Joanie Broderick. Honorary urnbearers are her niece Brylie Gramlich and nephew Hudson Gramlich.
In lieu of gifts, please consider donating to Tori’s Angels or LifeServe Blood Center of Iowa.

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