Obituary of Phyllis Sterler

Phyllis June (Mohlenkamp) Sterler was born June 11, 1937 in rural Melvin, Iowa, to Emory Mohlenkamp and Henrietta (Kamies) Mohlenkamp. She attended the Melvin Community School and graduated in 1955. She then received her teaching degree from Iowa State Teacher’s College in Cedar Falls, Iowa in 1957. Thereafter, she received her B.A. from Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa. She taught elementary education in Cherokee, Iowa for one year and in the Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn School District for thirty-five years. On June 4, 1958, she was united in marriage to Ronald Sterler at the American Lutheran Church in Melvin, Iowa. To this union two daughters were born, Regina and Paula. Ron and Phyllis farmed in rural Melvin and lived in Sanborn, Iowa for forty-five years before moving to Lake Park, Iowa in 2005, where they built their retirement home on the shores of Silver Lake. She was a life-long active member of the American Lutheran Church of Melvin, Iowa. She was very active within the congregation by holding various positions of the church council; participated in different bible studies through the church; was a member of the women’s group; and was the organist in the church for many years. Phyllis was the Co-Vice President of the Historical Society of Lake Park, Iowa; a member of the Women’s Federated Club of Lake Park, Iowa; and Co-chairman of the Cluster 1 Board of the Western Iowa Synod Women of the ELCA. Phyllis and her husband, Ron, serve as the Well Project Coordinators for the Western Iowa Synod ELCA “Water 4 Tanzania”. She is survived by her husband, Ronald; her daughters and their spouses, Regina and Randy Johnson of Lake Park, IA, and Paula and Ken Van Aalsburg of Sheldon, IA, eight grandchildren, Amanda Kruger (and Joey), Benjamin Johnson, Ryan Kruger, Kenneth Johnson, Kyle Kruger, Kristina Johnson, and Ashley and Kelsey Van Aalsburg; two great-granddaughters, Marissa Jo and Adelynn June Kruger; a sister, and her husband, Eileen and Jim Grave; two brothers-in-law and their spouses, Roger and Joanne Sterler, Robert and Arlene Sterler, two sisters-in-law, Madonna Verrips Feyerabend, and Marilyn Ennema Rees and her husband John; several nieces and nephews; other relatives and many friends. Phyllis enjoyed playing with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, attending sporting, music, and educational events of her grandchildren, reading books, crocheting, fishing, golfing, playing bridge, watching the sunrises and sunsets over the lake, traveling to Texas to Trophy Gardens in the winter months, traveling with her husband, Ron, to different places of the world, and doing mission work in Tanzania Africa. She was a very special part of each one of her grandchildren's lives. She was preceded in death by her parents; a sister and brother-in-law, Norma and Duane Schieber; and her father-in-law and mother-in law, John and Frances Sterler. In loving memory of Phyllis June Sterler Born ~ June 11, 1937 Died ~ July 15, 2010 Age ~ 73 years 1 month 4 days Funeral Service 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, July 20, 2010 American Lutheran Church Melvin, Iowa Officiating ~ Rev. Judy Johnson Bishop Michael Last Rev. Jay Grave Organist ~ Fay Schall Pianist ~ Rose Davis Soloist ~ Bob Floss "Borning Cry" "On Eagles’ Wings" Congregational Singing "Morning Has Broken" (Insert) "Amazing Grace" #448 Pallbearers (Lcpl) Benjamin Johnson Ryan Kruger Kenneth Johnson Kyle Kruger Joey Kruger Kerwin Sterler Honorary Pallbearers Amanda Kruger Kristina Johnson Ashley Van Aalsburg Kelsey Van Aalsburg Flower Attendants Madonna Feyerabend Marilyn Rees Joanne Sterler Arlene Sterler Ushers Paul Mohr Lee Schmidt Brad Knock Mike Seivert Burial Gilman Township Cemetery Ashton, Iowa