Eileen H. White (1927-2020)

WHITE, GASSMAN, SHERMAN

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 8/25/2020 at 07:53:58

Eileen H. (Stierman) White, age 92, of East Dubuque, IL, passed away peacefully at 4:30 pm, on Friday, August 21, 2020, at UnityPoint Health Finley Hospital, surrounded by her loving family. To celebrate Eileen’s life, private gatherings of friends and family will be held. Burial will be in Dubuque Memorial Gardens at a later date following cremation.

Eileen was born on October 5, 1927, in Canova, SD, daughter of Fred and Agnes (Gassman) Stierman who moved to Dubuque with their children during the Dust Bowl period of the 1930’s.

Eileen attended school at Dubuque Senior High School.

She was united in marriage to the love of her life, M.K. “Mike” White, on September 9, 1950, at Holy Ghost Church in Dubuque. They were blessed with 5 children and 54 wonderful years together until Mike passed away on April 25, 2005.

Eileen was employed at Dubuque Battery Factory during the war years following high school. Then, after full-time caring of 5 children into their school-age years, she returned to the work force at Janlin Plastics until the company relocated to Mt Horeb, WI.

In her free time, Eileen could be found in the yard weeding and mowing grass, planting and transplanting flowers and shrubs, and filling bird feeders. She loved to sit in her patio swing which was strategically placed right next to the house in a spot where she could watch her birds feeding and enjoy the hummingbirds zooming by. Her “pet” squirrel Alvin was always front and center waiting anxiously for his daily snack. She began every morning with the daily newspaper and a fresh cup of coffee at her kitchen table, looking out the patio door to her expansive back lawn that abuts the wooden portion of her 7+ acre lot. From there she would watch the deer, wild turkey and other critters of the wild meander along the open spaces. Mom was truly a city gal gone country! And in the evening she would watch the most beautiful sunsets the Midwest can offer from the same kitchen location. Her favorite place to be was with her family, quality time spoke love to her. If you said “want to go”, she was in the car before you could say where you were going. She would often reflect on her trips with her best friends, Roger and Karen. Making the trip to see her son and daughter-in-law in Turkey at age 88 and shopping at the Grand Bazaar, was a highlight of her travels.

Born catholic, Mom surrendered and gave her heart to Jesus on New Years Eve 1995 and never looked back. She later became a member of Word of Life Church. Mom thanked the Lord every day for her family and her health. We’re sure she has one more “favorite” activity now, dancing in Heaven with her Savior.

Those left to cherish Eileen’s memory include

her 5 children,
Rick (Sue) White, Peosta, IA,
Dennis White, Dubuque, IA,
Ron (Margie) White, Dubuque, IA,
Don (Diane) White, Istanbul, Turkey
and Cheri Thilmany, East Dubuque IL;

her 5 grandchildren,
Brian (Shelby) White, Peosta, IA,
Craig White, Highlands Ranch, CO,
Kristy (Nick) Duran, Abbotsford, BC Canada,
Dan (Andrea)White, Morgantown, WV
and Autumn Bennett, Pella, IA;

her 6 great-grandchildren,
Allison and Tyler White, Lauren Harrison, Gavin White, Isabel and Melania Duran and Everly White;

her brother,
Dale Stierman, Dubuque, IA;

2 sisters-in-law,
Louise Stierman, Dearborn Heights, MI
and Pat Kent, Winslow, IL;

and many nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews – all of which Eileen constantly stayed in touch with as the “great communicator” matriarch of the Stierman and White/Kent family trees.

Eileen was preceded in death by her husband “Mike”; parents, Fred and Agnes; her brothers and sister-in-laws, Eldon (Marge) Stierman, Clyde (Marie) Stierman, Roy (Barbara) Stierman, Claire “Red” Stierman, Cyril Stierman, Virginia “Ginny” Stierman and Beverly Stierman; and her in-laws, Eldena (Francis) Kent-Butler, Eldon Kent and Wilfred (Lela) White.

Thank you to the doctors, nurses and chaplain Claudia, at UnityPoint Health Finley Hospital for the quality and compassionate care they provided Eileen in her final days. Special thank you to Phil Holsten who was more like a son than a great neighbor to Eileen and special thanks to all her Galena Estates friends and neighbors for their loving and thoughtful support of her.

Memorials will be accepted by the family and may be mailed to Behr Funeral Home, 1491 Main Street, Dubuque, Iowa 52001, Attn. Eileen White Family, which will be distributed among Eileen’s favorite charities.