Hoberman, Phyllis Irene (1928-2016)

HOBERMAN, JOHNSEN, KLADSTRUP, WESTERGAARD, STANTON, BURDITT, RUE, ERICKSON, ALLEN, STAIERT

Posted By: Paul Nagy (email)
Date: 8/20/2016 at 12:18:42

Phyllis Irene Hoberman
January 30, 1928 - June 25, 2016

Surrounded by her loving family and friends Saturday evening at North Lake Manor in Storm Lake, Phyllis I. Hoberman, age 88, of Storm Lake, Iowa, slipped from this earth to the waiting arms of the husband she lost nearly fifty years ago.

A daughter of Harry P. and Elsie M. (Kladstrup) Johnsen, Phyllis Irene was born on January 30, 1928, in rural Newell, Iowa. She was welcomed into the family by an older brother, Kenneth, and they welcomed another brother, Keith, a few years later.

Baptized and confirmed at the Nain Lutheran Church in Newell, Iowa, where she remained a lifelong member, Phyllis attended country school for four years, starting at the age of four, and completed her education twelve years later at the Newell High School. The valedictorian of her graduating class, she had the highest grade point average to date for the school, an accomplishment which gave her a great sense of pride. She received a full ride academic scholarship to Buena Vista College, but tired of studying so much, she decided to work at Citizen’s 1st National Bank in Storm Lake instead.

On September 26, 1948, Phyllis married Curtis Westergaard. Subsequently, they were blessed with three children: Donna, John, and Wayne. While her children were in school, she decided to work at the Newell School so that her hours and days of work would match theirs. Regrettably, on November 26, 1966, her husband, Curt, was killed in a traffic accident. Phyllis continued to farm and work in the school until the following fall when she went back to work at Citizen’s 1st National, where she stayed until she retired.

On October 15, 1977, she married Richard Hoberman in Newell, Iowa. While their marriage ended in divorce after fifteen years, they remained friends. After she retired, he would drive over four to five times a week, usually hoping for a “project” at the house that would last through lunch.

An excellent cook, Phyllis included her fabulous Danish yardsticks among her delicacies as well as her sweet pickles, that took two weeks to make, and her great homemade jams and jellies. In addition, she had all those chickens and ducks to dress off every summer. She didn’t particularly like this job, but her mother, often, came to help. Moreover, she maintained a huge garden while raising her family, making sure that they, always, had plenty to eat and that she had a dining room filled with family on Sundays. Despite having a husband, three very active children, a 90-pound Boxer, a very large garden, farm work, and a job outside the home, she kept her house so clean anyone could have eaten off the floors. She, always, enjoyed sewing and embroidery, and made beautiful crewel and counted cross stitch pieces after moving to Storm Lake, many of those pieces are now with family members. When garage sales ended, she, always, had word search, crossword puzzles, and jigsaw puzzles in progress.

Phyllis had a warped sense of humor. In her thirties, she dressed up for Halloween in a costume and mask and headed to town where her husband was tending bar. She walked in, he didn’t recognize her, and she took a flying leap to his arms. None of the patrons of the bar knew this stranger, and her husband needed a minute to figure out she was his wife. She learned later that her own mother had also dressed up in a costume and mask and gone trick or treating with one of her neighbors at the same time she was enjoying the prank she played on her husband. Another year for Halloween, she showed up for work at the bank dressed in prison stripes, complete with a matching hat and I.D. number on the top. In addition, she, always, tried to find something unusual to add to a Christmas gift whether a plastic woodpecker and large container of mixed nuts for the bird and the nut lover in the family or a T-shirts that turned out to be Under Armour. Moreover, she enjoyed singing the songs she had learned in grade school, most of which made her daughter cringe, especially when she sang them to her great-grandchildren. And she, also, had a sweatshirt labelled “Head Gooser” that the bank presented to her when she retired. That should require no explanation. No one ever wanted to bend over in front of her: she never quit pinching, even in the nursing home. There will never be another like her.

In 2011, her health began to decline. After a short stay at the manor to recuperate from back surgery, she returned home for a couple of months until she needed to move back to the manor permanently in February. She tended the residents’ garden, loved her “apartment,” all of the visitors she had, and the staff that always joked with her and made her laugh. She would always speak up for anyone she felt needed extra attention, and she loved to have pizza brought in for her dining table group. She said she felt a little guilty that her birthday parties at the manor were always such a big deal because some of the residents didn’t have family that would celebrate with them, but don’t stop. She, always, made sure to have cheese curls ready for her evening visitor, David, cash for a shopping trip to the grocery store or Walmart, and comfortable clothing for those great Sunday dinners that Wayne and Bobbie brought or doughnut holes with John and Laurie.

She is survived by a daughter, Donna (David) Stanton, of Storm Lake, Iowa; her sons, John (Laurie) Westergaard, of Lake View, Iowa, and Wayne (Bobbie) Westergaard, of Newell, Iowa; her grandchildren: Rob (Brenda) Burditt, and their children, Megan, of Adel, Iowa, and Alex, of Aurelia, Iowa; Shanna (David) Rue, and son, Devlin, of Hartford, South Dakota; Cheri Erickson, and sons, Ethan, Caleb, and Jacob, of Johnston, Iowa; Curt (Shirley) Westergaard, of Denison, Iowa; Chris Westergaard, of Minneapolis, Minnesota; Ben Westergaard, of Fort Dodge, Iowa; and Nicki Westergaard, of Iowa City, Iowa; her step-grandchildren, Krista Allen (Darrel Wenzel), of Waverly, Iowa, and Mark Staiert, of Des Moines, Iowa; and her brother, Kenneth (Wilma) Johnsen, of Columbus, Ohio; as well as by nieces, nephews, cousins, the “village” at North Lake Manor, and many others.

Phyllis was preceded in death by her parents, Harry and Elsie; her husband, Curt Westergaard; her brother, Keith Johnsen, and his wife, Marian; her grandsons, Kyle Burditt and Chance Westergaard; and her in-laws, Kai and Elgin Westergaard.

The family of Phyllis would like to thank the staff of North Lake Manor, who were wonderful caregivers and friends to her. This was never more evident than in her last days when members of the staff came to tell her goodbye, one by one, giving her hugs and kisses, telling her how much they loved her and would miss her. As well as, Gentiva Hospice and hospice nurse, Tera. The family is quite sure that under their scrubs they have wings. They helped Phyllis so much and were such a comfort to her and to all the family and friends. Thank you is not enough.

The family is comforted with the certain knowledge that their mother is already “catching up” with those that predeceased her and smiling and dancing with her husband once again.

Funeral services will be held Tuesday, June 28, 2016, at 10:30 a.m. at the Nain Lutheran Church in Newell. Burial will follow in the Newell Cemetery. Visitation will take place Monday, June 27, 2016, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake. The Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake is in charge of the arrangements.

Copyright © 2016, Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Homes

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