Phyllis J. Showalter
SHOWALTER, MCELHINEY, FRANKLIN, WELLS HARTMAN, DOW, MULL, DETWILER, MILLER
Posted By: Sarah Fletcher (email)
Date: 2/23/2022 at 07:39:30
Phyllis J. Showalter, 89, of West Branch, IA, passed away peacefully on Friday, February 11, 2022, at Crestview Specialty Center in West Branch.
Memorial services will be at the Rose Hill United Methodist Church, 19551 SW Butler Rd, Rose Hill, KS at 1:00pm on May 7, 2022. Burial will follow at Dunlap Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed toward Alzheimer’s Association or FAME (Foundation for African Medicine & Education - the hospital that daughter Anne & Don Hartman volunteer at in Tanzania), in care of Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service, PO Box 167, Iowa City, IA 52244.
Phyllis was born on September 3, 1932, in Arkansas City, KS, the daughter of Avery and Juanita (Franklin) McElhiney. As a child, she moved to Florence, KS; Wichita, KS and then to Rose Hill, KS where she met Dennis. As the oldest girl in her family, she enjoyed helping her younger siblings with their homework.
On August 3, 1952, Phyllis married Dennis E. Showalter in Rose Hill. After a year in Japan, they moved to Ft. Scott, KS and Ft. Morgan, CO before spending 5 years in Haysville, KS. Phyllis lived in Topeka from 1960-1975. She worked at Hill’s Pet Foods, Seymour Foods and the Topeka Zoo. They moved to Iowa City, IA in 1975 where she worked for both the Dental School and the University Hospital. Toward the end of her career, she worked part time as needed, but they kept trying to get her back full time because she did such a great job and was so well liked by her coworkers.
Phyllis loved her Family. She loved her husband Dennis as they enjoyed 63 years of marriage. A loving, caring Mother and Grandmother, she was always happy to attend a concert, dance recital, play or any performance involving her grandchildren. Her grandchildren recall how she saved a program from each of their performances and had them autograph it for her collection.
Phyllis loved to crochet. She made baby blankets for all of her grandchildren and great grandchildren as well as for extended family and friends. She also loved to sew and once made matching shirts and dresses for all of her grandchildren.
She loved serving a holiday feast for the whole family. She would make each person feel special on their birthday or special event, as she prepared their favorite dish and had a separate serving to take away and enjoy, just for them. She loved volunteering and supporting programs for people around the world.
Phyllis loved adventure. With Dennis she traveled the world visiting more than 80 countries, she enjoyed riding a jet ski or boat around lake of the Ozarks at family reunions. She had a terrific sense of humor and infectious laugh which would spread joy to everyone around her. She made the world a better place and will be missed and loved forever.
Phyllis lived at the Crestview Specialty Care Center in West Branch, Iowa for the past 7 years. The family will be forever grateful to the staff at Crestview for their excellent and loving care for our Mother and Grandmother.
Survivors include her five children: Jeanine (Doug) Wells of Topeka, KS; Greg (Leisa) Showalter of Vincennes, IN; Eric (Sharlene) Showalter of Topeka, KS; Bart (Deb) Showalter of Shueyville, IA and Anne (Don) Hartman of Cedar Rapids, IA; three sisters: Janice Dow of Lynwood, WA; Sue (Bob) Mull of Maize, KS; Vickie Detwiler of CA; sister-in-law Wanda McElhiney of Norman, OK and brother-in-law Sam Miller of Connellsville, PA; 23 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
She was preceded in death by her husband Dennis, parents, sister Sharon, three brothers: Andy McElhiney, Carl McElhiney and Marvin McElhiney; sister-in-law Wilma McElhiney; brother-in-laws Wally Dow and Winston Detwiler and daughter-in-law Shannon.
Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service
Johnson Obituaries maintained by Cindy Booth Maher.
WebBBS 4.33 Genealogy Modification Package by WebJourneymen