Phyllis Showalter

PHYLLIS J. SHOWALTER

West Branch

Phyllis J. Showalter, 89, of West Branch, Iowa, passed away peacefully Friday, Feb. 11, 2022, at Crestview Specialty Center in West Branch. Memorial services will be at 1 p.m. May 7 at Rose Hill United Methodist Church, 19551 SW Butler Rd., Rose Hill, Kan. Burial will follow at Dunlap Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed toward the Alzheimer's Association or FAME (Foundation for African Medicine & Education - the hospital that daughter Anne and Don Hartman volunteer at in Tanzania), in care of Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service, P.O. Box 167, Iowa City, IA 52244.

Phyllis was born Sept. 3, 1932, in Arkansas City, Kan., the daughter of Avery and Juanita (Franklin) McElhiney. As a child, she moved to Florence, Kan., Wichita, Kan., and then to Rose Hill, Kan., where she met Dennis. As the oldest girl in her family, she enjoyed helping her younger siblings with their homework.

On Aug. 3, 1952, Phyllis married Dennis E. Showalter in Rose Hill. After a year in Japan, they moved to Fort Scott, Kan., and Fort Morgan, Colo., before spending five years in Haysville, Kan. 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, Iowa, 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 seven 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, Kan., Greg (Leisa) Showalter of Vincennes, Ind., Eric (Sharlene) Showalter of Topeka, Kan., Bart (Deb) Showalter of Shueyville, Iowa, and Anne (Don) Hartman of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; three sisters, Janice Dow of Lynwood, Wash., Sue (Bob) Mull of Maize, Kan., and Vickie Detwiler of California; sister-in-law, Wanda McElhiney of Norman, Okla.; 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; brothers-in-law, Wally Dow and Winston Detwiler; and daughter-in-law, Shannon.

Online condolences and memories may be shared at www.lensingfuneral.com or www.downingandlahey.com.