Patricia Mae (Dunsmoor) Stephens

Patricia Mae Dunsmoor Stephens, 92, of Iowa Falls, Iowa, passed away Monday, May 25, 2020 at Scenic Manor in Iowa Falls. A private, family-only visitation will be held with a funeral service and burial officiated by Father Kevin Earleywine to follow at St. Mark Catholic Cemetery in Iowa Falls. Memorials may be directed to the St. Mark Cemetery Fund or Care Initiatives Hospice, 6915 Chancellor Drive, Suite A, Cedar Falls, IA 50613-6933. The Linn's Funeral Homes Iowa Falls Chapel is making the arrangements.

Pat was born on May 1, 1928 at home in Fort Dodge, Iowa to Earl DeWitt and Venita Mae (Beal) Dunsmoor. She attended Fort Dodge Community Schools, graduating in 1946 and received a teaching certificate from the Iowa State Teachers College in Cedar Falls, Iowa, graduating in 1947. Pat taught school in Pleasant Valley Schools in Coalville, Iowa and worked at the Iowa-Illinois Gas & Electric. Pat met Donald Stephens of Dayton, Iowa at a Valentine’s Day dance in 1953. Six weeks later they were engaged. Nine months after they met, they were united in marriage at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Fort Dodge. To this union six children were born: Sarah, Donna, Dan, Kyle, Tim and Julie. Pat spent her life as a devoted mother and homemaker. Later, she returned to teaching and worked for over 20 years at the Iowa Falls Citizen Hardin County Times. Most of that time she worked as the Community Editor. She loved her husband, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren unconditionally. Her faith, enduring love, nurturing, and giving of herself to others marked every decade of her life and guided her priorities. She baked hundreds, maybe thousands, of pies for church, community events, and whenever her family requested a pie or two or five. She loved her family and the company of her husband. She taught bridge to Don. He taught her to play cribbage and golf. While he thought himself a better golfer than Pat, none could deny she had two holes in one and he had none. Her hobbies included anything connected with music: singing, playing piano, and listening. Big band, jazz, show tunes, instrumental and vocal music filled her heart and her home. Pat was an accomplished seamstress. When her children were young, she sewed most of their clothes. She taught all her children to sew. She was a lifelong teacher and learner, encouraging others to share her love of reading. Pat was a member of the St. Mark Parish, Iowa Falls for over 50 years. She was a member of Meadow Hills Golf Club and volunteered at Iowa Falls Church Women United Thrift Store.

Pat Stephens is survived by her children: Sarah (Craig) Black of Urbandale, Iowa, Donna (Tom) Volberding of Georgetown Lake, Montana, Dan Stephens of Waterloo, Iowa, Kyle Stephens of Bloomington, Illinois, Tim (Luci) Stephens of Livingston, Montana, Julie (Ricke) Welden of Norwalk, Iowa; 15 grandchildren; 10 great grandchildren; and a sister-in-law Emily Stephens of Snellville, Georgia. She was preceded in death by her, parents Earl and Venita Dunsmoor, her husband Donald Stephens, and siblings: Tom and Eleanor Dunsmoor, Venita (Sis) Dunsmoor, Doug and Maxine Dunsmoor, Earline and John Frandsen, and Robert and Ila Dunsmoor, Don’s siblings: Dolores and Ray Stout, Dean Stephens, and daughter-in-law, Suzanne Stephens.

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.