Iva Mae Howell Asmus Stryker, 98

Iva Mae Howell Asmus Stryker’s journey on this planet came to an end on Sept. 5, 2015. She was 98-plus years young.

“She is now with her Lord and Savior, Jesus, perhaps sitting in the middle of a beautiful flower garden where there will be no weeds.”

Her passion for flowers was known to all her neighbors, friends and family. She may have those wings, too, she’d talked about, so she can fly! The battle with diabetes, Parkinson’s and dementia is now gone forever.

Iva Mae was born on March 10, 1917, the sixth of 11 children to Elmer C. and Minnie M. Johnston Howell. She attended grade school at Deer Park School. Those were the days when you either walked to school or rode a horse. She wasn’t able to attend high school, but did earn her GED in May 1973.

She married Willard L. Asmus in 1936. From that marriage, she was blessed with three children, Ardella, Charlotte and Sidney. In 1946, she married Frank W. Stryker. She was blessed with two daughters, Janet and Alice.

Her family grew to include 15 grandchildren, several stepgrandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren and 15 great-great-grandchildren.

Her life was filled with motherhood, gardening and preserving the harvest, and working outside the home. She enjoyed bowling and was good at it. Her passion, however, was her flowers. At the age of 97, she would still be out in her flower garden chopping at those pesky weeds that never went away. Memorial Day weekend she would give flowers to those who’d ask for bouquets. Over the years, the flower beds got smaller but not her love of seeing those beautiful peonies and irises blooming outside her front window.

She would always tell us as we would be leaving from a visit, “Come back soon.”

Mother is survived by a sister, Jessie Wunderlich, of Valier; daughters, Ardella Fauske of Whitefish, Charlotte Russell of Kent, Washington, Janet Mullenix of Kalispell, and Alice Stryker of Orem, Utah; grandchildren, her great-grandchildren and her great-great-grandchildren; many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Besides her parents and siblings, Mom was preceded in death by son, Sidney; and grandsons Greg Stryker and Lance Walden Jr.

We are rejoicing that the battle is over for Mom, but feel a deep sadness knowing someone we’ve all known our entire life will no longer be with us here on earth. We would like to thank Aspen Gardens of Helena and the caregivers there for taking such good care of her. Hospice was wonderful to her, too. Thank you to each of you for caring for and about our mother. May your time with her bring you many fond memories. For sure, for sure!

A memorial service will be Oct. 3 in the chapel at the Fairview Cemetery. Mom’s beloved Flathead Valley will once again be her home where she will be buried with her Grandpa and Grandma Howell.