Our mom, Phyllis Mae (Fossey) Dunlavey, brightened this earth for 85 years and answered Jesus’ call to heaven on Friday, Sept. 28, 2018, at Good Shepherd Health Center in Mason City, Iowa, after many years of failing health with Parkinson’s Disease and dementia.

Phyllis was born on Sept. 5, 1933, in Austin, Minnesota. She was the fourth of seven children born to Andrew and Anna (Wortz) Hanson. She attended school in Austin and Lyle, Minnesota, and married Don Klampe at the age of 16. They had three children: Daniel, Susan, and a stillborn son, Kenneth. Several years after her marriage to Don ended, she met Wayne Fossey at the Terp Ballroom in Austin. Married in 1969, they farmed in rural St. Ansgar, Iowa, while raising their two daughters, Tamera and Janis. Wayne died after nearly 23 years of marriage, leaving Phyllis on her own again. Later, while attending a grief support group in Mason City, she met Frank Dunlavey and they married in 1993. She lovingly embraced Frank’s two sons, Paul and Rick, and was later thrilled to help care for Paul’s young children, David and Julia. Frank and Phyllis were married for 23 years before his death in 2017.

Mom loved spending time with her family and friends, all little children, her annual visits to Ingham Okoboji Lutheran Bible Camp, going to garage sales, crocheting, and traveling to many places around the United States and the world. She spent many years working at Good Samaritan Center in St. Ansgar as well as volunteering at Mercy Hospital and the Foster Grandparent Program in the Mason City School District.

She was preceded in death by her parents; one brother; three sisters; her husbands; and stepson, Rick Dunlavey.

Survivors include many loving family and friends including son, Daniel (Barb) Klampe; daughters, Susan Dahle (Jerry Ford), Tamera (Matthew) Penning and Janis (Bruce) Abkes; stepson, Paul Dunlavey; 10 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; five great-great-grandchildren; one sister; one brother; and many nieces and nephews, including her extra-special niece, Rosemary Shutt, who was like a daughter to her.

A celebration of life service will be held on at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 7, 2018, at Mona Lutheran Church near Lyle. Visitation will begin an hour before. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be given to Mona Lutheran Church, Ingham Okoboji Lutheran Bible Camp, or Hospice of North Iowa.

Our family would like to say a special thank you to the amazing staff at Good Shepherd Health Center’s memory care unit, who loved our mom and treated her like family. We are also grateful to the nurses of Hospice of North Iowa, who cared tenderly for our mom, kept her comfortable to the end, and welcomed us daughters to be with our mom when she passed.

Our mom truly enriched our lives and will be missed. As a follower of Jesus Christ, she is now rejoicing and we know one day we will meet again.