Phyllis Seaba

Phyllis Jane Seaba, 92, of North English died Sunday at Mercy Hospital in Iowa City surrounded by her loving family. She was born on August 4, 1926, east of Sigourney to Herbert and Freeda (Schultz) Hinnah. She graduated from Sigourney High School in 1945. On April 20, 1947, at the Bethel United Methodist Church she married Floyd Seaba, the boy she grew up with from across the field. They farmed near Sigourney. They lived in rural Sigourney, then North English, Slater, and later South English. In 1969, they built their home in North English where they resided for more than 4 decades. In 2015, she moved to the Valley View Assisted Living. She was a member of the North English United Methodist Church, the United Methodist Woman’s group, and the True Blue Club.

Some would call her occupation a homemaker. We all know better. She did it all! Floyd and her did not even have indoor plumbing in their home until around 1956 (after all 3 of their children were born). This, as you can imagine, can make everything much harder than what we are used to today. She always made sure the kids never left in the morning without an egg in their belly and the chores done. She loved to cook, bake, knit, and sew. She sewed many clothes for not only her children but grandchildren as well. She knitted and made quilts and Christmas stockings for her family. When Thanksgiving and Christmas came around, she would not allow anyone else to make food. She did it all from the turkey and ham to the sides and she always had a large variety of pies, cookies, desserts and homemade candy. She knew how to make a dollar stretch and the pop fridge was always filled for the grandchildren when they came to visit. She absolutely loved to garden and would often can her harvest. To this day, many of her recipes are still highly sought after and very rarely replicated to the high quality she produced. She was always one for a good sit down game like cards or board games. This was always a hit with the grandkids. There were a few games she liked less than others but she always made sure she could set some time away from the kitchen and her duties to enjoy some game time at the dining room table with her family. When no one else was around to play cards with she would set up a game of solitaire or would pull out a puzzle.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her loving husband Floyd, brothers Russell, Howard, and Gordon Hinnah, daughter-in-law LaDonna Seaba, and great-grandchildren Joely Schaffner and baby Caskey.

Surviving are her loving children, two sons, Darrell and wife Alyce Seaba of Goldfield, IA, David and wife Suellen Seaba of Sigourney, IA, a daughter Joellyn Caskey of North English, IA, six grandchildren Nicala Seaba Rubino (Tony), Troy Seaba (Lynn), Tamara Beisel (Jason), Trista Schaffner (Chris), Ean Caskey (Abby), Aundi Seaba Smith (Brent), and step grandaughter Dori Venema Sixteen great-grandchildren, Jacob, Matthew and Josephine Rubino, Sarah, Garrett, Brandon, Caleb and Samantha Seaba, Jackson and Makayla Beisel, Garin Schaffner, Chasen, Dashtyn, Jett and Myla Caskey, and Nile Smith, five step great-grandchildren Emily and Carly Beisel and Cole, Chase and Tyler Venema, and her sister Eileen Ulin of Washington.