Faythe Steffen Obituary (2014)

Faythe JoAnn Steffen, of Oskaloosa, passed away on February 4th, 2014, at Regency Care Center in Norwalk. She was 76. At her request, no funeral services are being planned. A private family memorial service will be held at a later date. JoAnn grew up in the Carlisle/Hartford area. She earned a degree in Elementary Education at William Penn College, where she also met her husband. She was a preschool and Kindergarten teacher in Oskaloosa until her retirement. JoAnn was a wonderful cook, who also enjoyed gardening, reading, and taking pictures at family gatherings. One of her greatest joys was attending her grandchildren's events and activities. She will be dearly missed by her loving husband of 54 years, Leroy; two sons, Brian (Shelley) of Des Moines, and Jeffrey of Carlisle; two grandchildren, Morgan and Zachary; sister, Judy Smith of Arizona; brother, Stephen (Cathy) Smith of Carlisle; as well as many nephews, nieces, and cousins. Memorial contributions may be made in JoAnn's name to the Ecumenical Cupboard in Oskaloosa. It was her wish to have her brain donated to the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, for research on corticobasal degeneration. The family would like to thank the staff at Regency Care Center and Mercy Hospice for the tender, loving care and comfort they provided to JoAnn.