Phyllis Lorraine Stickney 1933- 2018

STICKNEY, TRUDELL, CROSLEY

Posted By: Connie Swearingen -Volunteer (email)
Date: 1/8/2019 at 20:45:10

Sioux City Journal
12 December 2018

Smithland, Iowa

Phyllis L. Stickney, 85, a resident of Smithland, passed away Sunday, Dec. 9, 2018, peacefully with her family at her bedside.

Services will be 10:30 a.m. Friday at United Methodist Church in Smithland, with the Rev. Karen Handke officiating. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery, Sioux City. Visitation will be 6 to 8 p.m. at the church. Arrangements are under the direction of Waterbury Funeral Service of Sergeant Bluff.

Phyllis Lorraine Stickney was born on Oct. 31, 1933, on a farm near Santee, Neb., to George and Hannah (Trudell) Crosley. She was the third born of eight children. Her parents were searching for a name and were inspired by the name they saw on a riverboat in Yankton, S.D. on the Missouri River, the "Phyllis Lorraine," and so she was named. Phyllis attended school on the Santee Sioux Indian Reservation kindergarten through eighth grade. She then moved to Sioux City to live with her Uncle Martin and Aunt Cora Trudell to attend Woodrow Wilson and graduated from Central High School in June 1951. She and her older sister, Edna, worked for Genelli Studio in Sioux City colorizing black and white photos with oil paints until 1952. Then in 1953, she moved to Hollywood, Calif. with her sister, Edna, and cousin, Adele, and worked as a secretary.

In December 1953, she moved back to Sioux City and married Leo F. Stickney at Grace Methodist Church in Sioux City on Jan. 29, 1954. They made their home northeast of Smithland on a farm and began their life, raising four children. She worked hard as a farm wife taking care of all that the farm produced - fresh milk, cream, churned butter, butchered chickens every year, eggs, canned garden produce and endless cooking for kids, hired men and anyone who would stop in to visit.

Phyllis was a 64-year member of Smithland United Methodist Church, a member of the United Methodist Women's Association and a Sunday School teacher. She loved to sing soprano in the choir and loved Bible Study, and she helped in all functions of the church. She was also a life member of the Order of the Eastern Star Loess Hills Chapter 502.

She had many hobbies. She continued to colorize pictures for Genelli Studio until they started photographing in color, sewed clothes for her girls, belonged to a local quilting group, crocheted quilts, especially baby quilts, loved to cook, had a big garden, and was a member of the Loess Hills Red Hat Mamma's Red Hat Society. A particular hobby she loved for many years was bowling mixed league with Leo and women's league with her daughter until around 2008. After Leo retired from farming, they did a lot of traveling with their lifelong Shrine friends, vacationing, and she especially loved to go back to Santee and Niobrara, Neb., to visit her family.

Phyllis also loved to read books and there was always music in the home. After they retired, she took up oil painting landscapes, floral, birds, and other scenes, and she wished she had started earlier. But she felt her greatest accomplishment and her legacy were her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She adored them all. Phyllis was greatly admired. And not just by her family, but by others, too. She was a wife totally in love with her husband until their parting. She was a mother totally in love with her family and was thoroughly prepared to show her love by giving all and asking little. She was highly valued, greatly respected, a rich and treasured gift from God. She may have done many other things in her life on earth that were productive and meaningful, but none will be admired as much as being the beautiful mother and wife she was.

Survivors include a son, Larry and his wife, Suzanne, Stickney of Sergeant Bluff; a daughter, Kay and husband, Mark Till, of Smithland; a son, Brian and wife, Brenda, Stickney of Smithland; a daughter, Lisa and husband, Robert Rucker, of Cedar Park, Texas; eight grandchildren, Weston and wife, Kayla, Till and their children, Cambree and Asher, Aaron and wife, Jerica, Stickney and their children, Cayden, Blake, and Liam, Renee and husband, Matt, McDonald and their children, Rylee, Colton, and Aiden, Sarah and husband, Craig, Timmerman and their children, Rowan, Luna, and Tamber, Ben Stickney, Lyle Stickney, Hannah Rucker, and William Rucker; brother, John and wife, Mary, Crosley; brother, Carl and wife, Elaine, Crosley; sister, Betty Warren; brother, Robert and wife, Linda, Crosley; sister, Gloria and husband, Roland, Kluender; sister, Carol and husband, Bob, Workman; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Phyllis was preceded in death by her husband, Leo F. Stickney; her parents, George and Hannah (Trudell) Crosley; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Frank and Ida Stickney; sister, Edna Warren; brother-in-law, Norman and wife, Lois, Stickney; sister-in-law, Elaine and husband, Earle, Hammer; brother-in-law, Dale Warren; nephew, Alan Stickney; niece, Denise Stickney; and nephew, Jack Crosley.

The family would like to thank the caring hands and hearts from Maple Heights in Mapleton, Iowa.