Grace Mueller (1925-2019)

MUELLER, BURNS, LYONS

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 3/16/2019 at 20:08:26

Grace Marie Mueller, 94, formerly of Key West, Iowa, died peacefully at 4:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 14, 2019, at Luther Manor.

Friends may call from 2 until 6 p.m. on Sunday, March 17, 2019, at Hoffmann-Schneider Funeral Home, 1640 Main Street. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, March 18, 2019, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Key West. Burial will take place in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Key West.

Grace was born February 8, 1925, daughter of Thomas and Katie (Burns) Lyons, of Key West. She married Raymond “Whitey” Mueller September 4, 1946. He preceded her in death on August 6, 2007. They lived on his family farm in La Motte, Iowa, for 27 years. She was a stay-at-home mom, caring for their seven children.

In January 1970, they moved to the new home they built in Key West. They turned the 65 acres near their home into Twin Ridge Subdivision where more than 100 families live today. In partnership with their son, Dan, they developed another 47 acres near the intersection of Highway 151/61 and 52 into commercial business lots which became Dubuque Southgate Development Ltd.

They donated a parcel of property to the Key West Fire Department in 2005 for the construction of a new fire station, parking lot and recreation area.

Grace, from very young age, played piano and loved to entertain anyone who would listen. She was an organist at St. Joseph’s for many years, playing for weddings, funerals and other events. She also played at the Moracco Supper Club, The Chateau Supper Club, the Swiss Valley Chalet and the Grand Tap in Dubuque, as well as the Log Cabin in Galena, IL, over the years, plus several local nursing homes.

At the age of 43, she went back to school to become a nurse, a career she enjoyed for 23 years until her retirement in 1993 at the age of 68.

She was a member of the Dubuque County Board of Health for more than 20 years. She was vice chair of the Farm Bureau Women’s Committee and was named “Mother of the Year” in May of 2003 by the Dubuque County Farm Bureau. She and her husband were active volunteers with the Dubuque County Fair Board.

Surviving are seven children, Mary Ann Gassman, Daniel (Sondra) Mueller and Tim (Lisa) Mueller, all of Dubuque, Thomas Mueller, of Corona Del Mar, Calif., Janelle (Stan) Booth, of Verona, Wis., Jeanine (Larry) Lochner, of Peosta, Iowa, and Cindy (Roger) Reiser, of Grimes, Iowa; one sister, Irene McDermott; 13 grandchildren, Julianne (Kevin Bowen) Gassman, of Cedar Falls, Iowa, Lisa (Norm) Pottebaum, of Dyersville, Iowa, Douglas (Malinda) Mueller, of Pacific Grove, Calif., Chris (Kim) Mueller, of Lafayette, Colo., Jenny (Sal) Giunta, of Windsor, Colo., Scott (Kesha) Booth, of Muskego, Wis., Brad (Pam) Booth, of Phoenix, Ariz., Tina Booth, of Sun Prairie, Wis., Thomas (Jill) Lochner, of Saratoga Springs, N.Y., Daniel Lochner, of New York, N.Y., Jared Reiser, of Lake Forest, Calif., Jake (Reba) Reiser, of Winterset, Iowa, and David Mueller, of Cambridge, Mass.; a brother-in-law, Allen Schubert; and 14 great-grandchildren.

Grace was preceded in death by her parents; one brother, Joseph Lyons; and three sisters, Dolores Lyons, Lorraine Splinter and Jean Schubert.

The family wishes to thank the kind staff at Luther Manor for all their loving care, and also Hospice of Dubuque.

In lieu of flowers, Memorials may be given to Luther Manor and Hospice of Dubuque.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.hskfh.com.