Sheila Algreen

Sheila Algreen passed away on Tuesday, May 23, 2023 at her home at the age of 89, just a month before getting to celebrate her 90th birthday bash. She felt blessed to be able to live in her own home and often said, “It takes a village to keep an old lady in her home.”

Sheila was born June 30, 1933 to Arthur and Phyllis Richardson in Penketh, England where she grew up and graduated from Marfield Girls’ School at the age of 16. She was 6 years old when WWII started, and 12 when it ended. She experienced food rationing, running to underground shelters when sirens sounded, and lost an uncle in an air raid over Germany. She worked briefly in a bank and an insurance company before meeting Billy Algreen, who was serving in the United States Air Force and stationed in England. They were married in England on June 10, 1953. Sheila, at the age of 20, left England with Billy, and settled on a farm near Dexter, Iowa, later moving to a farm near Earlham.

Adjusting to rural Iowa living had its challenges.  One challenge was learning to drive on country roads that all looked alike, but Sheila did eventually learn to drive a car and navigate those roads. She enjoyed knitting, crocheting, and needlepoint. After she and Bill retired in Winterset, they enjoyed bike riding. Most of all she enjoyed her family. She spent many hours reading in her expressive English accent all manner of stories to her children and grandchildren who have also developed a love of reading. She enjoyed playing Scrabble, card games, and board games with friends and family. She had a love of words and was quick to correct us, if, for example, we made the mistake of ending a sentence with “at.” She could still recite the Shakespeare she’d memorized as a schoolgirl, was quick to laugh, and had a gift for telling it like it is! And, who could forget her little sayings: “Many a slip twixt cup and lip.” Or, if we’d ask, “Mom, should I get this one or this one?” She’d respond, “Would a man on a galloping horse know the difference?”

Sheila was a member of the 20th Century Club while living in Dexter, and belonged to the Progressive Study Club in Winterset. She was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Winterset where she assisted with the RCIA program for a time, and was a religious education teacher.

She is survived by her children, Teresa (Mike) Hoffelmeyer of Winterset, Phil Algreen of Earlham, Alan (Teresa) Algreen of Earlham, and Paul (Deb) Algreen of Dexter; 15 grandchildren, Peter Hoffelmeyer, Virginia Hoffelmeyer, Patrick Hoffelmeyer, Emily Reidburn, Michaela Hoffelmeyer, Chelsey Algreen (Grant Sagan), Megan Algreen, Andy (Sydney) Algreen, Alex Algreen (Mike Ilyenko), Sydney (Spencer) Hunter, Jordyn Algreen, Tiffany (John) Dunagan, Mike (Nikki) Algreen, Lindsey Harding,and Riley Algreen; 16 great-grandchildren, Ethan, Lauren, and Brayden Hoffelmeyer, Wesley and Paisley Reidburn, Liam, Kellan and Amelia Dunagan, Braylie and Anthony Harding, Jasper, Leo and Valor Algreen, Valencia and Atlas Hunter, and Hadley Sagan; and extended family and a host of friends.

Sheila was preceded in death by her husband, Billy; parents, Arthur and Phyllis Richardson; and a daughter-in-law, Kimberly Algreen.

A visitation will be held from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, May 30, 2023, at Caldwell Parrish Funeral Home, Winterset Chapel. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, May 31, 2023, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Winterset. Burial will follow in the Winterset Cemetery. Memorials may be directed to the St. Joseph Catholic Church, CRISP, and/or Friends of the Winterset Public Library. Online condolences may be expressed to the family at www.caldwellparrish.com.