Not long before her passing on June 21, Phyllis Irene Hegy selected a poem to be part of her funeral service. The verse asks mourners not to weep on her behalf. All who knew and loved this 95-year-old woman, as they share memories of her well-lived life, will smile at this request, despite parting tears.
The first born, daughter of Russell and Esther Quist of New Ulm, Minn. arrived Sep. 18, 1926. She would be a big sister to brothers Bob and Dick, a cherished role her entire life.
She often described her school years: “I was never an A student, but I had the most fun!” She graduated from Minnesota’s Fairfax High School in 1944 during an era of war and uncertainty. Ever the adventuring spirit, she found work and moved to Minneapolis where she soon met Bob, an Air Force soldier on leave. The whirlwind courtship resulted in a Sept. 13, 1947, double wedding ceremony (a practical decision, she recalled, because the grooms were cousins).
Proof of the theory that opposites attract, the gregarious Phyllis and quiet Bob Hegy’s vows were cemented with a unique glue which endured for 63 years. They were parents to five children: Mike, Jill Deupree, Paul, Jeff and Kristin Downs. At the time of Phyllis’s death the family tree included ten grandchildren, and twelve great-grandchildren. Every single personality was special to her.
Following Bob’s career in forestry, then with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Hegy family lived in Minnesota, California, Oklahoma and Nebraska. Each place provided a patchwork of experiences and cultures. They lived in college student housing as Bob pursued his degree, then established residences (including a temporary stay in a tent on a cement slab with no water or electricity in a northern California forest area), as well as available housing.
Everywhere they went, Phyllis made friends (and played cards). After a short visit with strangers, she often discovered threads of life connections, finding particular delight to meet a fellow Minnesotan.
Landing in Lyons, Neb. in 1966, when Bob accepted a forestry position at the Winnebago Indian reservation, the kids were slowly leaving the nest to pursue careers and marry. The small town eventually became their retirement home.
Phyllis always found time for friends, the church, membership in United Methodist Women, the Order of Eastern Star and a local hospital auxiliary. She loved a good joke, playing games, telephone chats, cooking and reading. At age 89 she enjoyed and often agonized over the challenges of learning to use an iPad. A few years after Bob’s death, Oakland Heights care center welcomed Phyllis as a resident during her last chapter of life.
She was preceded in death by her husband in 2010, son Mike in 1997 and daughter Jill, in 2021, as well as her parents and brothers. Survivors include: Paul (Joni), Jeff (Mary Jo) and Kristin (Rick) Downs, Barb Hegy, Jim Deupree, Jane Quist and Penny Quist.
Her positive beliefs will be deeply missed by her family and a large circle of friends.
Memorial service, Tuesday, June 28, 2022, 10:30 a.m. at Pelan Funeral Services Lyons in Lyons.
Burial at Lyons Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorials directed to Donor’s Choice.
Arrangements by Pelan Funeral Services Lyons. www.pelanfuneralservices.com.
