Lily Mae Ronfeldt

Lily M. Ronfeldt, 94, of Sioux City passed peacefully on January 18, 2025, at Sunrise Retirement Community in Sioux City, Iowa. 

Funeral service will be 11:00 am, Monday, January 27, 2025, at Christy-Smith Funeral Homes, Morningside Chapel, 1801 Morningside Ave., with visitation one hour prior. Entombment will be the Westfork Township Cemetery in Climbing Hill, Iowa.

Lily Mae Downing was born August 13, 1930, in Moville, Iowa, the daughter of George and Etta Downing. Her family later moved to Oto, Iowa. She married Leo L. Ronfeldt on August 10, 1958, in Climbing Hill. Lily graduated from Oto High School in 1948 and continued her educational journey over the next 20 years, graduating from Wayne State Teachers College with a 2-year degree in 1951, Colorado State Teachers College earning a BA degree in 1963, and the University of South Dakota at Vermillion earning an MA degree in 1969. Lily taught kindergarten for 9 years at Climbing Hill and then was employed by the Sioux City Community School District as a teacher, where she taught at Hawthorne Elementary for 26 years and Leeds Elementary for 4 years. 

Throughout her lifetime, Lily belonged to and served as a delegate on many local, state, and national boards, including the Sioux City Education Association (SECA), Iowa State Education Association (ISEA), and the National Education Association (NEA). Serving on the Board of Directors for the Sioux Valley Credit Union for over 50 years was one of her proudest accomplishments. Lily was a member of Saint James United Methodist Church, Delta Kappa Gamma, the Sioux City Retired Educators Unit, and the American Legion Auxiliary Henry V McKenna Unit #561. 

The things that brought her great joy included traveling with her husband and nephew around the U.S. in their motor home, spending time with her extended family, hosting family gatherings, attending school and athletic events of her great nieces and nephews, drinking coffee with her friend Phyllis, and caring for others who were ill. 

Lily was preceded in death by her parents, husband, and 10 siblings: her infant twin brother who died at birth, Roy, Charles, Georgetta Prescott, Marguerite Lesner, Francis Heinse, Mary Smith, Maxine Hamman, Emma Mann, and Anita Corn, along with other extended family members.

Survivors include a nephew, whom Lily and Leo raised from the age of 9, Charles Michael Downing and his wife Julie of Denison, Iowa, and their adult children Shelby and Jordan, in addition to many other nieces and nephews.