Phyllis Ann (Reed) Brandes was born on March 24, 1950, in Tingley, Iowa. She was the first-born child of Kenneth and DonElla (Dailey) Reed. She died at Jennie Edmunson Hospital on February 6, 2024, at the age of 73 years, 10 months, and 13 days.
Phyllis started her path to her career in country school near Tingley, Iowa and when she had to enter the Tingley school system in town school, she became mad at her world. This was because she loved the country school system. But life went on and she graduated from Mt. Ayr High School with the class of 1968. She continued her path toward teaching by attending Northwest Missouri State College, graduating in 1972.
She started her first job teaching in Oregon, Missouri. After seven years of teaching, she moved to Treynor, Iowa. In 1980 she met her soul mate, Russ Brandes. They were married on June 20, 1981, in Mt. Ayr. After recovering from a car accident, she substitute taught in the surrounding area many years before getting a job at Shelby-Tennent Elementary School. Eventually Shelby-Tennent joined the Avoca school, and it became A-H-S-T. She remained at Shelby until they closed their doors, at which time she began teaching in Avoca. Her final year at Avoca, she taught in the new part of the school, finally getting to enjoy air conditioning for the first time in her teaching career. Phyllis retired from A-H-S-T in 2010.
She would come home at night and talk about the joy of seeing the light bulb flip on in some child’s eyes, or having some of the students more challenged tell her “thank you”, after she gave them an explanation about something they were studying.
Another love was the continuation of reading for herself. It evolved from the Friday night stops at the Eckel’s Memorial Library in Oakland to exploring new places, people and times with her kindle tablet.
Phyllis was preceded in death by her parents, Kenneth and DonElla (Dailey) Reed; her parents in-law Wayne and Maxine (Rank) Brandes; her brother-in-law, Ed Mattis; and her sister-in-law Judy Scheffler.
Phyllis leaves behind her husband of almost 42 years of love, Russ Brandes; her brother, Allan Reed and his wife, Linda of Spickard, Missouri; her sister, Alyce Mattis of Mt Ayr, Iowa; her sister, Lisa Jackson of Mt Ayr, Iowa; and a sister Debra Dodge and her husband Bill, of West Des Moines, Iowa; her sister-in law Joyce (Brandes) Hickerson and husband Dennis of Boise, Idaho. Also, ten nieces and nephews and fifteen great-nieces and great-nephews along with many friends and other family members.
Phyllis’ loss will be deeply felt by many!
Funeral service will be Monday, February 12, 2024, at the Silver Creek United Methodist Church, 36418 Pinoak Road
Hancock, IA 51536, at 10:30 AM. Visitation will be Sunday February 11, 2024, from 1:30 to 4:00 PM at the Oakland Community Building. In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund is being established for AHSTW 5th grade school supplies. The Rieken Vieth Funeral Home in Oakland is assisting the family.
