Tatiana Bodine

   Tatiana Krupenin Bodine of Sioux City, Iowa, known as Tanya to her friends, died peacefully surrounded by her loved ones on February 4, 2017 at, Holy Spirit Retirement Home. She was 96. A memorial service will take place at 1 pm on Saturday, February 11 at Meyer Brothers Funeral Home at 3220 Stone Park Boulevard, with Father Dennis Meinen officiating.
   Tanya was well-loved in the Siouxland area as a teacher of Russian and German languages at Morningside College, Briar Cliff college, Western Iowa Tech, Hoover Middle School, M.G. Clark Elementary as well as LeMars Public High School. She as a welcoming neighbor, a wise counselor, a friend to animals in need, an enthusiast of art, music, gardening, travel and reading, a supporter of the community, and an affectionate parent and grandmother.
    She began life on December 1, 1920 in the city of Harbin, Manchuria in China, the daughter of Vasili Krupenin and Elsa Schulz Krupenin. Her father was Russian and her mother was German. Her father managed the furs, gems and photography lines at Churin department store in Harbin and was an avid photographer. Tanya grew up speaking German, Russian, English and some Chinese. Bright and athletic, she did well in school and in sports. Her sister Margarete was two years her younger, and she died on February 3, 2017. Tanya survived the Japanese invasion of China in the 1930s and 1940s, a time of great hardship. Troops occupied her city and food, clothing and oil was in short supply. Even though she was born in China, the government did not consider her a citizen and she could not travel.
   After World War II she worked as an interpreter and secretary in her 20s at the American Consulate. It was there that she met a young American Air Force Captain, “Conny” Bodine, who had stayed on in China working for the United National Relief and Rehabilitation Administration. They found a common spark and were later married at the Union Church in Peking in 1947, and moved to America. They were married for 40 years. Upon her arrival in America, Tanya immediately applied for and obtained American citizenship. Her son Larry was born in 1950, daughter Tasha in 1952 and daughter Tina in 1954. Tanya’s family lived in many cities in the South and Midwest, until finally settling in 1958 in Sioux City, when Conny was hired at City Manager.
    Tanya taught her children to speak and sing in German. An avid reader and enthusiastic student, she obtained a bachelor of arts degree from Morningside College. When her children were still young, she began her career teaching German and Russian language at Morningside college. At home, she was a friendly neighbor, baking a cake to welcome new neighbors, and organizing families and children to march in a spirited Fourth of July parade. She was an excellent cook and baker, and would regularly open her home at Easter to share traditional Russian Pascha and Kulich dishes. Tanya composed a cookbook and humorously titled it, “Eat Kid, Eat!” She encouraged her children to do well in school and always advised them to try new things. She and her family suffered a tragedy in 1966 when her daughter Tasha, age 13, died of injuries from a hit and run car accident walking home from school. Throughout life Tanya loved arts and music, and was a regular patron of the Sioux City Art Center, enjoyed the Sioux City Symphony, and was the Sioux City coordinator for Omaha Opera. She enjoyed travel and went on family vacations to the American West, and to Europe, visiting her sister and parents who had now moved to Munich, Germany. She and Conny were worldwide travelers. She was an independent thinker and was a member of the American Association of University Women, The Unitarian Church, Travelers Club and InterPro. She translated Russian to English for local business and community groups, physicians, as well as distinguished scientists such as James Van Allen and helped Russian refugees adapt to their new life in the Sioux City. She lived to be the eldest member of her family tree. She had a generous spirit and was well loved.
   She is survived by her daughter Tina Hall of Sioux City and by Larry Bodine of Tucson, Arizona. She has five grandchildren, Catherine Hall of Omaha, NE, Christopher Hall of Sioux City, Cylas Hall of Sioux City, Rob Hall of Abilene TX, and Ted Bodine of Chicago, IL and four great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her sister, Margaret Krupenin, her brother Horst Schulz and her husband Cornelius Bodine, Jr., who died in 1987, when he was the Mayor of Sioux City.
    Memorials may be directed to the Sioux City Humane Society and Doctors Without Borders.