Doris McElmeel

Doris McElmeel, 75, of Lisbon, died December 24, 2016, at Hospice House in Hiawatha, after three years of living with bile duct cancer. Mass of Christian Burial: 10 a.m. Wednesday, December 28, 2016, at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Mount Vernon, by Reverend John R. Flaherty. Visitation: 3-7 p.m. Tuesday, December 27, 2016, at the church with a Vigil Service at 7 p.m. Visitation also one hour prior to Mass at the church. Burial: St. John's Cemetery, Lisbon. Arrangements by Stewart Baxter Funeral & Memorial Services, Mount Vernon. Doris Ileen Simon was born October 27, 1941, in Farley, Iowa, the second of eleven children of Emmet and Kathleen (Urbain) Simon. When Doris was five, the family moved to a farm near Fillmore, Iowa. She grew up playing Fox and Geese and Annie over the Woodshed games, riding on the top of hay wagons during haying time, milking cows by hand while listening to Brooklyn Dodger baseball and the Gene Autry radio show, playing ball in the front yard, and having sledding contests down through the pasture, her Radio Flyer sled usually went the furthest. She attended Carr County School near Placid, Iowa, through 8th grade, and then graduated in 1959 from St. Martin's High School in Cascade, Iowa. On January 11, 1964, she married Steven Joseph McElmeel of Monticello, at St. John's Catholic Church in Placid, Iowa. They lived in Cedar Rapids for a year, then moved to a home in Lisbon in April of 1965, where they have lived for over 51 years. Over the years Doris was employed by the Ertl Toy Company in Dyersville, Ridge Motor Supply in Dubuque, and the 7-Up Bottling Company in Cedar Rapids. She was a stay-at-home mom and babysitter until all the children were in school. She then worked for 10 years as school board secretary at Lisbon Community Schools. Her real love for 28 years was being a Consultant and becoming a Branch Advisor for the Longaberger Basket and Pottery Company of Dresden, Ohio. She loved organizing the many bus trips to Dresden, attending the Basket Bee in Columbus, Ohio, and mentoring her many Longaberger associates. She gained many great friends over the years in her Longaberger business. She was an active member of St. John's Catholic Church in Mount Vernon, and had served on the Parish Council and as a CCD teacher. She was also active in the Lisbon community as a Master Gardener volunteer, a Meals on Wheels volunteer, and as a member of the Lisbon History Center Board where she helped organize their many cemetery walks. Doris will be especially remembered for her love of Dodger baseball, Hawkeyes sports, her flower gardens, her annual plant sales, and in younger years, playing softball in local leagues. Doris was a 'goer' and loved to travel, including the many camping trips with her family all over the US, and in organizing the trips to Europe and Ireland. She loved playing card games like euchre with the card club and the 'Touring' game with the grandkids. She was great at making buns and pies from scratch and dearly loved caring for her family. Survivors include her husband of 52 years, Steve; daughters, Michele McElmeel (Ron Pierce) of Hudson, Wisconsin, Colene (Chris) Bowersox of Swisher, and Jenny (Cary) Bryant of Plymouth, Minnesota; son, Michael (Chris Somers) of Rockton, Illinois; grandchildren Lauren, Kathleen, and Nathan McElmeel, Britt and Brooke Bowersox, and Morgan, Madelyn, and Mikah Bryant; siblings, Jeanette (Paul) Kremer of Epworth, Loras Simon of Bernard, Marian (Dave) Armstrong of Livingston, Montana, Matt (Jean) Simon of Cascade, Lucy Sutherland of Cascade, Lee (Connie) Simon of Bernard, Irwin (Luann) Simon of Farley, and Tom (Sherry) Simon of Cascade; sister-in-law, Judy Simon of Peosta; brother-in-law Bob Budden of Petersburg; and many extended family members and friends. Doris was preceded in death by her parents; sister, Marie Budden; and brother, Merlin. Doris touched the lives of many people with her generosity and devotion to family.