Eileen E. Holton

Eileen Elizabeth (Murphy) Holton was born January 20, 1934, in Des Moines, Iowa to Edward and Rose (Boardman) Murphy. Eileen attended St. Peters Catholic School through the 8th grade, completed her freshman year at St. Joseph’s Academy, and finished her education at East High School in Des Moines, graduating in 1952. She met her husband, Gerald Henry Holton at a movie theater. They were together for 67 years in total, and as a married couple for 64 blessed years.

After high school, Eileen worked for Iowa Des Moines National Bank in the encoding department until 1962, when their son, Mark was born. Gerald was deployed at this time in the military during the Cuban Missile Crisis. In addition to the Des Moines area, they lived in Texas, Kansas, Wisconsin, and the Davenport area. Eileen’s faith was a guiding force in her life and while a resident in Des Moines, she was a faithful member of St. Anthony Catholic Church.

Eileen loved her family above all else and provided a loving home for them. After her children were born, her primary occupation became homemaker, which she embraced wholeheartedly. She was a very caring mother, an excellent cook and baker, and was known for her delicious pies.

Eileen was the life of the party and loved dancing. She was very social and had a large and loving group of friends. Her favorite pastime was spending quality time with her family and friends. Eileen and Gerald had weekly dinner dates at the Latin King for many years, as it was their favorite restaurant.

Eileen passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on Tuesday, September 30, 2025, at Parkridge Specialty Care in Pleasant Hill. She was 91 years old.

She will be lovingly remembered by her beloved husband, Gerald; her daughter, Kristine (Kevin) VanWinkle; grandson, Jacob VanWinkle; and daughter, Laura (Mike) Reece.

Eileen was preceded in death by her parents, Edward and Rose Murphy; sister, Rosemary Griffin; brother, Edward Murphy, and son, Mark Holton.

Mass of Christian Burial will take place at 11:00 a.m., Monday, October 6, 2025, at St. Anthony Catholic Church, 15 Indianola Road, Des Moines, IA 50315. Family will greet guests one hour prior to the funeral service. Burial will follow at Glendale Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be directed to the family for a future designation.

Condolences may be expressed at www.HamiltonsFuneralHome.com.

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