Patricia “Pat” Rose Steffensmeier, 81, of St. Paul, Iowa, passed away on July 22, 2022, after a courageous battle with cancer surrounded by her loved ones who will continue to honor her legacy by living their lives to the fullest. Born on December 19, 1940, Pat was the daughter of Albert and Viola (Schwartz) Lampe and was the second of eleven children. She married Daniel Steffensmeier on September 7, 1963, at Saint John’s Catholic Church in Houghton, Iowa.
As a devout Catholic, Pat attended Saint John’s Catholic School in Houghton, Iowa. She was a member of Saint James Catholic Church in Saint Paul, Iowa. She served on the parish council, was an officer of the Altar and Rosary Society, and sang beautifully in the parish choir for nearly 40 years. Pat was also a member of the Saint James quilters.
Pat worked at Northwestern Bell in Fort Madison, Iowa, and continued to serve others as a volunteer teacher’s aid at Marquette Elementary School in Houghton, Iowa, for more than twenty years. Pat had an amazing love of nature and could identify nearly every bird, plant, flower, or insect. Her grandkids were fascinated by this knowledge as well as her insect and rock collections which helped them receive wonderful accolades on many school science projects. She also loved following her grandkids’ activities, cooking wonderful meals for her family, going down to the ponds, watching the hummingbirds, tending to her flowers, and wintering in Arizona.
She is survived by her husband, Dan; children: Mike (Jan) of Columbus, Ohio, Marty (Amy) of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Scott (Raelynn) of Roanoke, Indiana, and Julie (Jamie) of Waverly, Iowa; fifteen grandchildren and three great grandchildren; siblings: Larry (Ruth) Lampe of Houghton, Iowa, Dave (Linda) of Lockridge, Iowa, Joyce (Darrell) Moeller of Salem, Iowa, Vicki Arnold of Keosauqua, Iowa, Kathy (Carl) Elston of Quincy, Illinois, Joe (Lora) Lampe of Houghton, Iowa, Jerry Lampe of Houghton, Iowa, Alan (Beth) of Des Moines, Iowa, and Tom (Lois) of Metamora, Illinois; many nieces and nephews; and a host of friends. She was preceded in death by her parents and brother Dennis who died in infancy.
Visitation will begin after 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 28, 2022, at Saint James the Less Catholic Church in Saint Paul. The family will receive friends from 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. A parish rosary will be recited at 4:00 p.m. and a Christian wake service will be at 6:00 p.m.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, July 29, 2022, at Saint James the Less Catholic Church in Saint Paul with Father Dan Dorau as celebrant.
Burial will be held in Saint James Cemetery in Saint Paul, Iowa.
A memorial has been established in her memory for Saint James the Less Catholic Church.
Online condolences may be made to the family at www.schmitzfuneralhomes.com. Schmitz Funeral Home of West Point is assisting the family with arrangements.