Phyllis Lorraine Liston

Phyllis Lorraine Liston passed to be with her Lord and Savior on May 26, 2020. There are no words for how much she will be missed by her family and friends. Phyllis was a fighter. She beat pneumonia numerous times, breast cancer last year, and in her younger years - uterine cancer. She went peacefully in her sleep.

Phyllis was born in Sac City, Iowa on June 28, 1934 to Joseph Edward Myers and Eunice May Myers (Courter). She grew up in small town Iowa and graduated from Minburn High School in 1955. During the summers of her high school years, Phyllis spoke of picking corn and wearing a big hat so as not to get too much sun from the summer heat.

She is survived by her husband, Frank Albert Liston. They were married over 53 years ago on December 10, 1966 in a courthouse in Omaha, Nebraska. Phyllis is also survived by her children, Richard Roberts and his wife Denise Roberts, Linda Roberts, Connie Chaney and her husband Joe Chaney, Kathy Roberts, Lori Grogan and her husband Mark Grogan, Steven Liston and his wife Katy Liston and step-daughter Debbie Thompson; her grandchildren, Jennifer Cresap, Jami Lloyd, Nicole Thomas, Richard William Pugh, Jason Derby, Bret Thompson, Rodney Derby, Lue James Grogan, Jericho Grogan, Thalee Grogan and Serenity Grogan; many great-grandchildren; her brother, Jack Myers and his wife Karen Myers; sister, Karen Kessler and her husband Ralph Kessler; and many nieces and nephews. Phyllis loved them all. She was preceded in death by her parents; her sister, Deloris Ekstrom; and brother, James Myers.

Phyllis loved to read and was a very fast reader - a 500-page book was easily read in two days. She also crocheted and enjoyed both hobbies until she could no longer see to do either. She enjoyed the holidays and you would often see her in the kitchen late at night on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Easter making fudge and her children’s favorite dishes. She loved to cook and made the best fried chicken ever!! She loved her Shih Tzu dog Missy and was usually found early in the morning drinking coffee and snuggling Missy in her lap or against her neck. Phyllis loved to laugh and was often found teasing her husband and kids and laughing at her own jokes. Her smile lite up a room. Phyllis was a quiet woman but if you sat and talked with her, she would share how strong and unique each of her children were. You could see the pride she had for her family. She never mentioned it or maybe never realized that the strength of her children came from her.

Phyllis loved going for drives in the county with Frank. She loved camping, picnicking on a warm summer day in Iowa, and in her younger days she played the organ and loved music. Her favorite performer was Elvis Presley singing gospel music. She even knew how to yodel a bit.

For a time, the family lived in the small town of Willow Creek, California where Phyllis enjoyed the clear waters of the Trinity River and the yellow poppy flowers that bloomed at the riverbank. She loved the lush year-round green of nature, violets, and the purple of iris – her favorite color. Phyllis and Frank moved back to Iowa, after their youngest son Steven graduated from high school, to pursue a better career and to be closer to her Iowa family members.

Most of her jobs were as a typist and she typed an impressive 63 wpm. Phyllis worked for the Iowa Department of Public Health and later for the Department of Commerce in Des Moines, Iowa until she retired in 2011.

She will be missed more than words could ever say. Life without her will never be the same for any of us. We know she is now free of pain and suffering. Heaven gained an Angel when they gained our Mom. We will miss you forever until we see you again ….

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