Iva Dell Muller, 88, of Andalusia, Ill. joined her parents and great grandson, Griffin in their heavenly home on Saturday, July 28, 2018 at Avonlea Cottage, Milan. Services will be 11 a.m. Tuesday at Wheelan-Pressly Funeral Home and Crematory, Milan, where visitation will be from 9 a.m. until service time.
Burial will be private at Pleasant View Cemetery, Little Rock, Iowa, where she will be laid to rest with her parents. Due to Iva’s wonderful Avonlea Family and her love of music, memorials may be made in care of St John’s UMC music department, Davenport or the Alzheimer’s Association. Iva was born in Rock Rapids, Iowa on October 4, 1929 to Leslie and Johanna DeVries Bramley.
As an only child, she grew up in Rock Rapids and following her mother’s footsteps, she attended the University of Northern Iowa Teachers College, graduating with a degree in elementary education. Iva was married to Wayne Muller on Aug 12, 1953. He passed away in 1991.
She spent her life doing what she loved most, teaching. She taught piano lessons for 70 years and Sunday school equally as long. She started her elementary school teaching career in Webster City, Iowa for 2 years and then Aplington, Iowa for two years.
Iva substituted in the Spirit Lake school system when her children were growing up, all the while giving piano lessons. She taught in the Rock Island School System for 25 years, retiring in 1999. This included elementary music and later 1st grade.
She was always quick to tell everyone, that in all of her years of teaching, she only missed one day of school due to illness. Even after Iva retired she still shared her passion for teaching through volunteering at the grade schools and helping with the reading program. Iva was in charge of the After School Program at Taylor Ridge United Methodist Church from 1999-2012, where she was the church organist for 35 years and a member of United Methodist Women and TWIGS.
Her greatest joy was to spend time with her family. Her grandchildren were the light of her life. There was nothing she wouldn’t do for them.
Iva was known for her wonderful baking, especially her cinnamon rolls, which she shared quite often with all those special to her. This would mean getting up at midnight to “punch down the dough” and up at 4 to” roll them out”. Although her volunteer work took a lot of her time, Iva was very involved with her Teacher’s Sorority and the Illinois Retired Teachers Association, along with never missing opportunities to go out to lunch with friends.
With everything that she accomplished in her life the greatest of these was the Christian life that she lived. She taught her family that first and foremost Christ is the head of the household. Iva, leaves behind, to carry on her legacy, two daughters…Mitzi (Mark) Harris, Blue Grass, Iowa and Tammi (Chuck) Harroun, Taylor Ridge, Illinois; 3 grandchildren, Chelsie (Tom) Chaney, Bloomington, Ill.
, Nathan (Stacy) Harroun, Sherrard, Ill. and Isaac Harris, Blue Grass, Iowa; 4 great grandchildren, Evelyn Mae Harroun, Ella Grace Harroun, Abel Thomas Chaney and Blayre Ellise Chaney She was preceded in death by her parents, husband and great grandson. The family would like to thank the amazing staff at Avonlea Cottage for the love and care given to Iva during the last 2 ½ years.
What a wonderful addition to our family. Thank you also to Compassus Hospice for their kindness and compassion.
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