Elva Downing

Elva Etta Downing, daughter of Ivan Lowell Phillips and Lydia Alma (McReynolds) Phillips was born October 5, 1927 in Oakland, Iowa and passed from this life Friday, April 7, 2023 at the Clarke County Hospital in Osceola, Iowa at 95 years of age.   

Elva went to school in Osceola, Iowa and graduated from Osceola High School.    

She was united in marriage to Arlan Kenneth Downing on June 12, 1949 at the Osceola United Methodist Church and six children blessed this union.   

In her earlier years, Elva  was a country school teacher and also a beautician at Hotel Conley in Hampton, Iowa. She then worked as a Community Action Worker  for South Central Iowa Community Action Program for forty-two years when she finally retired in 2012 at the age of eighty-four.  While there, she was instrumental in starting the Clarke County Toys for Christmas and the Clarke County Food Pantry, which has assisted countless families over the years.   

Elva enjoyed quilting, socializing with  her many friends, and playing bingo. She was also a member of  the  Leslie Auxiliary.   

Those relatives who preceded Elva in death were her father, Ivan Lowell Phillips; mother, Lydia Alma Phillips; husband, Arlan Downing; sons, Dick Dean Downing and Dennis Downing; sisters, Roberta (George) Schultz and Vada (Harold) Wickliff; brothers, Charles (Jerry) Phillips, Lloyd (Shirley)  Phillips, Geary Phillips, sister in laws Bertha (Carl) Slyvester, Maime (Jim) Milroy and grandson Ted James.   

Elva leaves to cherish her memory, son, Darwin (friend, Ann March) Downing of Osceola, IA; son, Doug (Pam) Downing of Des Moines, IA; daughter, Elizabeth “Beth” (Brent) Rahn of Columbia, MO; son, David  (Cinda) Downing of Woodburn, IA, daughter in law Deb Downing (Dennis Myer) of Osceola, Sharon Downing of Des Moines,Betty Hembry of Osceola, IA as well as Frank (Dee) Baker, of Cape Canaveral, FL whom she also considered her children.  Also surviving are her grandchildren, Ryan (Sara) Downing of Des Moines, IA, Daniel (friend, Keela) Downing of Crested Butte, CO,  Katie (Don) Slanec of Urbandale, IA, Stacie James of Waukee, IA,  Eric (Megan McDermott) Rahn of Chicago, IL Nicole Downing Burdock  (Ryan)  of Adel, IA, Richard (Nancy) Van Dyke of Grimes, IA, Tom (Amy) Van Dyke of Iowa City, IA, David James (Erin) VanDyke of Norfolk, VA, Dennis (Ashley) Downing of Lorimor, IA, Ben (McKenzee) Downing of Sully, IA; great-grandchildren, Ellie Burdock, Ryder Burdock,  Megan Van Dyke, Charlie Van Dyke,  Dane Van Dyke,  Peyton Van Dyke, Caleb James, Gabriel James, Isabella (Payton) Newl, Victoria (John) Dutson,  Kalayna Downing, Cairyn Downing, Landon Downing,  Adelyn Downing, Malia Downing, Israel Baker and also her great-great grandson, George Newl and sister-in-law, Ann Phillips as well as other relatives and many, many friends.

Services will be held at Kale Funeral Home - Osceola, Thursday April 20, 2023 at 10:30 am with Mike Albert officiating.

Family will greet friends from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm Wednesday, April 19, 2023 at Kale Funeral Home in Osceola.

A live stream of the service will be available at www.kalefuneralhome.com on Elva’s tribute wall beginning at 10:30 am, Thursday.

Interment will be in the Green Bay Cemetery - Clarke County, Iowa.

Memorial contributions may be directed to Clarke County Food Pantry or Clarke County Toys for Christmas.

Online condolences may be directed to the family at www.kalefuneralhome.com