Phyllis VanGerpen

December 2, 1927 - October 5, 2018

Phyllis Jean VanGerpen, age 90, of Washington, Iowa, passed away Friday, October 5, 2018, at the United Presbyterian Home in Washington. Celebration of life services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, October 9, 2018, at the United Presbyterian Church in Washington with Rev. Kitch Shatzer officiating. Calling hours will begin noon Monday, October 8, 2018, at the Jones & Eden Funeral Home where the family will receive friends from 5:00 until 7:00 p.m. Monday evening. Interment will be held at Elm Grove Cemetery in Washington. Memorials have been established for the United Presbyterian Church or given to the mission of the donor’s choice. Online condolences may be sent for Phyllis’s family through the web at www.jonesfh.com. Phyllis was born to Sjoerd and Gertie (Sterler) Zylstra on December 2, 1927. She was nurtured by a loving family and caring church in a friendly farming community. She began her elementary education in a rural school near Luverne, Minnesota. She completed her elementary education in a one room country school near Sibley, Iowa and graduated from Sibley High School in 1945. From early youth she was active in Sibley First Presbyterian Church and felt God calling her into full time Christian service. She graduated from the missionary course at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago in 1948 and furthered her training for mission overseas by receiving her RN from Kahler School of Nursing in Rochester, Minnesota in 1952. She and Emory VanGerpen were united in marriage on April 17, 1952, at the First Presbyterian Church in Sibley, Iowa. On October 30, 1952, they sailed for Nigeria under the auspices of the Sudan Interior Mission to begin their careers of lifelong missionary service in northern Nigeria. In 1974 they joined the World-Wide Ministry of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Phyllis taught Bible in the Government Teacher’s Training College in Nigeria for ten years. During that time she was a member of the Government Team, writing and editing Christian Religious Knowledge Textbooks. She was also heavily involved in local presbyterial and national Women’s Guild. The Presbyterian Church of Nigeria asked her to serve as the Executive Secretary of the Board of Church Life. Upon their retirement as missionaries in 1997, they moved to Sioux City, Iowa, Emory pastored the Westlawn Presbyterian Church. Phyllis was ordained Deacon. She enrolled in an accredited training for the chaplaincy and served as a hospital chaplain. She enjoyed the fellowship of the local Presbyterian Women, serving as an Enabler at the presbyterial level. In July 2004 they retired at the United Presbyterian (UP) Home in Washington, Iowa. Phyllis became actively involved in the local Presbyterian Women (PW). She also chaired the International Mission Team with passion and enthusiasm. She was happy to be involved in a number of volunteer activities at the UP Home. Emory and Phyllis were blessed with five children: Ruth Ann (Dave) Wolf of St. Louis, MO; David of Washington, IA; Miriam (Alan Shapiro) of Camus, WA; Seth (Karen Hadley) of Dallas, TX; and Rachel Goedken (Jack Beard) of Lincoln, NE. Phyllis was fond of their seven grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren, cherishing time spend with each of them. Along with her husband of 66 years and her immediate family, she is survived by a sister-in-law, Ruth Zylstra; many cousins, nephews and nieces; and Emory’s seven brothers and sisters and their spouses. Along with a host of friends in America are an “adopted” Nigerian family, several African sons and dear fellow Nigerian co-works to remember her firm Christian faith, cheerful attitude and willing, serving spirit. Phyllis was preceded to Glory by premature twins; her parents; and her only sibling, Percy John Zylstra.