Phyllis Irene Johns

         Phyllis Johns Funeral service recording link.

Sibley, IA 

     Phyllis Johns age 94 of Sibley, IA died Monday, January 18, 2021 at Keelson Harbour Assisted Living in Spirit Lake, IA.

     A private funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, January 22, 2021at the First Presbyterian Church in Sibley, with Pastor Terry Simm officiating. Service will be recorded, and a link will be put on our website for you to view service.

     Burial will follow in the Holman Township Cemetery in Sibley.

     Public visitation will be Thursday, January 21^st from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Jurrens Funeral Home of Sibley. Masks are recommended and social distancing guidelines will be followed. Family will not be present.

     Phyllis Irene Johns was born March 1, 1926 to George and Hazel (Earl) Pearson in Luverne, MN.   She was raised in Allendorf, IA and graduated from Sibley High School.   She attended teacher’s college and taught country school before marrying Kenneth Johns on August 13, 1945 in Worthington, MN. They honeymooned in Sioux Falls, SD, and celebrated in the streets as WW2 came to an end that day.

     After marriage, they moved to Lake Benton, MN where they farmed, and three children were born. They moved back to Sibley in 1952 and later were blessed with two more children. Phyllis started driving school bus in 1964 and continued driving until 1978 when they moved from Sibley to Spencer, IA. She continued to drive bus in Spencer until her retirement in 1990.

     She was active in the Senior Center in Spencer for many years. She loved to travel and enjoyed a few winters in Texas as well as trips with friends to both coasts. She and Kenny traveled to Alaska for their 60^th wedding anniversary and in addition, she took girl’s trips to Phoenix and NYC with Cindy, Carol and her sister Delores.

     She was an avid baker and was well known for her homemade angel food cakes, caramel rolls, popcorn balls and wacky cake. Each spring the family anxiously anticipated her first rhubarb custard pie. She made each of her children a crocheted bedspread and afghans for her grandchildren as they married.   She enjoyed genealogy and worked diligently for several years compiling family lineage. As a cancer survivor, she was a proud supporter of Relay for Life in Sibley participating in the lap around the track for survivors.

     In 2008, Kenny and Phyllis moved back to Sibley. Kenny passed away in December 2008.   She resided in Sibley until April 2019 when she moved to Wel-Life Assisted Living in Spirit Lake. Covid-19 was no friend to her as she was isolated from her family just after her 94^th birthday celebration in March 2020. She maintained her positive attitude as only she could, enjoyed the visitors at the window and colored daily to pass the time. After a short hospitalization recently, she was moved to Keelson Harbour in Spirit Lake, where she died two days later on January 18, 2021.

     The early experiences in her life growing up during the Great Depression taught her to cherish what is most important in life – family. She knew how to live and love in an unmatched way. She will be remembered not only by her family for her smile but for her positive attitude and ability to find the best of any situation. She was the living embodiment of a warm hug – which she freely gave and expected from all.

     Left to cherish her memory are her children: Marcia (Robert) Zylstra, Spirit Lake, IA; Randy (Kim) Johns, Roland, IA; Cynthia (Dave) Baker, Waukee, IA; Carol (Randy) Rockman, Spirit Lake, IA; twelve grandchildren, twenty-two great grandchildren and 2 great-great grandchildren, three sisters, Geraldine Rusche, Sibley, Delores (Jerry) Saunders, Paullina, IA, Joan Schuck, Sibley, IA. and one sister-in-law, Marlys Fischer of Owatonna, MN.    

     She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, one son, Larry, one brother, Burdell; two sisters Patsy Van Dyke, and Judy Drenth.