Phyllis Lydia Green

Phyllis Lydia Green of Cedar Falls, formerly of Postville, died Tuesday, July 28, 2020, at Cedar Falls.

A private burial was held at Postville Cemetery August 16.

Phyllis was born August 16, 1928, in Decorah, Iowa, to William and Hilda (Foltz) Erickson. She married Kenneth Theodore (K. Ted) Green August 22, 1948, in Decorah. Ted and Phyllis made their homes in Olin, Postville and Eldridge, returning to Decorah in retirement. They raised five children. He preceded her in death on May 28, 2009.

Phyllis grew up on a farm during the Depression and always appreciated her simple childhood in rural Burr Oak with her loving, hardworking parents and her sister, Marcella. She graduated from Decorah High School in 1946 with a High School Normal Training Certificate. Her teaching career began in a one-room school. She taught at Clermont for 2 years and at North Scott Schools in Eldridge and Long Grove for 25 years. During that time, she completed a master’s degree in counseling at University of Iowa. She retired in 1993 and served as a substitute teacher for the next 20 years.

These awards recognized her teaching:

Distinguished Teacher Award from the University of Iowa, 1987

Teacher of the Year from Iowa Council of the Social Studies, 1988

No. 58 Daily Point of Light honored by President George HW Bush, February 3, 1990

Scott County Teacher Recognition Golden Apple Award, 1993

Phyllis was a volunteer 4-H leader in Scott County, church council member at Faith Lutheran Church, and a founding member of Countryside Community Theater of Eldridge. She was inducted into the North Scott Fine Arts Hall of Fame in 2013.

Her family will continue to cherish memories of cousins camp and other family gatherings at Maplewood, the Green family Heritage Farm near Castalia. She wrote stories about her childhood, poetry inspired by memories and insights, stories with moral lessons in the Itchy Chick series and, in the past five years, hundreds of letters to her family and friends. She will be remembered for love of her family, creative teaching, passion for travel, enthusiasm for family gatherings and her encouragement in the form of cookies.

Those left to honor her memory include her children: Bill Green of Ossian; Fred (Robyn) Green of Minnetrista, Minnesota; Joe (Trina) Green of Lena, Illinois; Pat (Louis) Beck of Buckingham; and daughter-in-law Chris Green of Long Grove. There are twelve grandchildren: Tim (Kathy) Green, Beth (Jason) Barclay, Christopher (Jenny) Green, Emily (JB) Ruiz, Gabriella Green, Nicholas (Carolina) Green, Natalie (Scott) Krisiloff, Nolan Green, Katherine (Paul) Frautschy, Neal (Jenna) Beck, Lee (Morgan) Beck and Lydia (Matt) Alexander. There are 24 great grandchildren: Theo and Myles Green; Owen, Hudson and Harper Barclay; Jackson, Jameson, and Eleanor Ruiz; Addyson, Emma, Aubree and Evelynn Green; Valeria and Gael Green, Thea, Max, and Auggie Krisiloff; Quinten Green, Layla Mattson and Clayton Oliver; Jensen, Jayden and Louis Beck, and Calvin Alexander.

In addition to her husband, she is preceded in death by her parents, sister Marcella Fitch, son James Green, daughter-in-law Marilyn Green, grandson Joseph T. Green and great granddaughter Isabel Green.

Memorials may be directed to Camp Courageous, Box 418, Monticello, IA 52310, or to a charity that is meaningful to you.