Phyllis Tappe
Phyllis Jeanne Tappe, age 81, passed into eternal rest on July 11, 2025. She lived to love and care for her family; as she died, she was cared for and loved by them.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 AM TODAY July 14, 2025, at Holy Trinity Church with Msgr. Kevin McCoy officiating. Burial will follow at Corpus Christi Cemetery. Laufersweiler Funeral Home is serving the family.
Phyllis was born in Burt, IA on July 10, 1943, to John Vernell (Ned) Hardgrove and Ada Schwietert Hardgrove. The family eventually settled in Algona, IA. After attending school in Algona, she worked as a beautician. During this time, she and Dick Tappe fell in love and were married on September 22, 1962. Through 62 years of marriage they shared a tender, devoted love that produced six beautiful children. They were happy together, and would often take trips to go fishing, rock hunting, or what they called “the joint” — a trip to the casino. We are happy that they are together again.
She owned and operated The Fashion Rack, a used clothing store in downtown Fort Dodge for many years. She had an eye for fashion and was a very classy dresser. She couldn't resist a good deal — if you complemented her clothes, you'd hear all about the discount she'd gotten for them. Mom would make friends wherever she went. She could talk to anybody and had a very quick sense of humor. She was a joy to be around and loved to sneak a beer into the backseat to sip on the way to dinner.
Mom was proud of her heritage, having family who fought in the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. When her first two sons deployed to the Persian Gulf during Operation Desert Storm, she helped found the Armed Forces Family Support Group to ensure that our military and their families were cared for and supported. She helped to bring back the Blue Star Banners that hung in the windows of the families of deployed service members and was given special recognition by Iowa's governor for her dedication to this cause.
Most of all, Mom served and loved. Her house was always clean and well-kept, and she loved to cook and bake. Christmas was always filled with goodies, but woe to the person who tried to take a cookie or piece of fudge at any point prior to Christmas Eve. She was tough, she was solid, and she was strong. She doted on her grandchildren and great grandchildren. We will miss her food, which always brought us together. We will miss the twinkle in her eye right before she delivered a funny quip. Mostly we will miss her love. All that she did was for others, and she did it without complaint or hesitation. She was the rock that would not be broken.
She is survived by sons David (Judee) Tappe of Fort Dodge, and Chris (Stephanie) Tappe of Boise, ID, daughter Sarah (Lincoln) Dziekonski of Helena, MT, and son Stephen (April) Tappe of Sioux Falls, SD, as well as 23 grandchildren, 6 great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband Richard, daughters Cindy and Kathy, parents Ned and Ada, sisters Barb, Kay, Peggy, and brothers Ronald and Jack.
Memorials may be left to family discretion.