A visitation will be held from 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Friday, February 25, 2022 at Oakcrest Funeral Services, Algona. A private family service will follow with Deacon William Black officiating. A Lao Blessing (Phű-Khan) will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 26, 2022 at 1600 Violet Lane, Storm Lake, IA 50588.
Bouaraphanh Maria (Phiakhamta) Syharath (73) of Algona, passed away at MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center. She was born on July 9th, 1948 in Keng Sadok, Laos. She was the daughter of Kham and Eth Phiakhamta. She was a simple country girl who never got a chance to go to school to get an education.
She married Khamla Syharath on December 25, 1966 in Laos. Soon after, she became a mother and caregiver to 4 children. Her husband Khamla was a scholar and worked outside the home. The aftermath of the Vietnam war resulted in Bouaraphanh acting as a single mother to seek safe environment for her and her children while her husband was working. The plan to escape Laos to the refugee camp in Thailand took a lot of planning. Bouaraphanh had to pretend to be fishing on the Mekong River and met up with her husband Khamla at their secret location and laid down the escape plan. In the middle of the night in 1975, Khamla had arranged a meeting spot with one of his best friends and his family, along with Bouaraphanh and her kids. Khamla swam across the Mekong River using a floatation device made up of a blown up plastic bag and met up with his friend who had the two families in a couple of canoes. He and his friend started to swim and while dragging the canoes with their families across the river. While escaping Bouaraphanh had shielded herself over the two youngest children while bullets were whizzing by their heads and canoes. They were at the refugee camp from 1975 to 1980. While Khamla was teaching, he had made contact with Wayne Johnson, who became an advocate for the family to be sponsored by St. Cecelia Catholic Church of Algona. Plans to leave the camp was delayed with Bouaraphanh being pregnant with her fifth child.
When the paperwork finally went through, Khamla, Bouaraphanh, and their 5 children were adopted by St. Cecelia Catholic Church of Algona. They landed foot in Mason City, IA on March 15, 1980. Drove in their first car ride in the states to reside in their home in Algona, IA. While in Algona, Bouaraphanh worked odd jobs for McDonalds, Amour/Tyson, and then finally landed a job at Snap-On Tools. She worked at Snap-On as a spot welder until her retirement on October 1st, 2010. She enjoyed gardening, fishing with her husband, traveling, playing with grandkids, and cooking for her kids.
She is survived by her husband, Khamla Syharath of Algona; daughter, Maria Grimaldi and two sons of Hiram, GA; son Joe (Michelle) Syharath and six children of Waterloo; son, John (Nannette) Syharath and two daughters of Dike; son, Pierre Syharath and two children of Cedar Falls; daughter, Bernadette (Eric) Peterson and three daughters of Ankeny; sister, Nah-Sao Yomma of Laos; sister Nah-Sao Moyen (John) Keophany of Storm Lake; brothers, Bao King and Bao Ling Keo Phiakhamta of Laos; brother Bao Fean Phiakhamta of Des Moines; brother, Bao Tanh (Nout) Phiakhamta of Storm Lake; brother Bao Nah (Joy) Phiakhamta of Storm Lake and many nieces, nephews, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Bouaraphanh is preceded in death by her parents, Kham and Eth Phiakhamta; brother, Chainit; and two sisters, Kinhom and Banthone, and her in-laws, Vanla and Khammy Syharath.
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