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Evelyn Katherine (Ahlschalger) Miens entered God’s Garden in Heaven on Saturday, February 24, 2018, at 9:00 AM with family and care givers present. She spent the last 8 years in her own apartment in the home of her grandson, Tim, and good friend/caregiver, George, at 16992 Middle Road, Dubuque, Iowa.

A Dubuque service will be held 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Egelhof, Siegert & Casper Westview Funeral Home and Crematory, 2659 Kennedy Road where visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. until time of service. A Sioux City service will be 4 p.m. Saturday at the Meyers Brothers Morningside Chapel, 6200 Morningside Avenue where visitation will be held from 2 p.m. until time of service. Entombment will be at Memorial Park Cemetery in Sioux City, Iowa.

Evelyn was born on June 30, 1916, at home near Balaton, Lynd Township, Lyon County, Minnesota, youngest child of George & Mary (Tiedje) Ahlschlager.

On October 29, 1936, in Elk Point, South Dakota, Evelyn married Harry Miens, the love of her life. Evelyn met Harry in Worthington, Minnesota, while she served as a housekeeper and caregiver to the Jack C. Boote family. Harry preceded her in death on March 3, 1996.

Evelyn shared her talents, skills, and love as a housekeeper; homemaker; member of church circles and committees; Sunday School teacher; Brownie leader; hospital aide; ceramicist; and gardener. Her love of irises lead to her long-time membership in the Roving Garden Club (75 years) and the Siouxland Iris Society. Her gardens of irises served as the setting for weddings, family gatherings, and bus tours. She and Harry were featured in Country Woman magazine. Evelyn was the last remaining member of the garden club.

Evelyn’s strong faith in God made her a model Christian. She read the Bible daily and read many inspirational poems and books. She left this world as a 22-year member of St. Paul Lutheran Church (LCMS) and a 60-year member of Calvary Lutheran Church (LCMS) of Sioux City, Iowa, where she appreciated the comfort given by Pastors Kapanka, Schoop, and Travis.

Following Harry’s retirement from the Sioux City Sanitation Department and Payless Cashway, they traveled to the places they dreamed of: Holy Land, Egypt, Norway, Nova Scotia, Quebec, Ontario, Australia, Switzerland, and Denmark. Following Harry’s death, Evelyn traveled throughout the states of Nebraska, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and, of course, Iowa. In March of 2016, Evelyn traveled through Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Georgia to Disney World in Florida to celebrate her 100th birthday a few weeks early.

In her move to Dubuque in 2010, she was a supporter of the Bell Tower Theater, enjoying the musical and comedy performances. She had two iris beds made with bulbs from her Sioux City gardens. She learned how to play Apples to Apples and was quite good at convincing her partners that her choices were the best. She enjoyed dressing up and going out with her special friends to eat. Her favorites were the best fried chicken in town at Timmerman’s Supper Club in East Dubuque, Caramel Pecan Silk Supreme pie at Village Inn, and chicken wings from Jack’s Chicken Palace in Dubuque. She enjoyed rides through the countryside to check on crops throughout the year as well as trips down to the lock and dam to watch the barges move through, people out on the river in their boats, to see the birds, and to watch for eagles.

At home, she enjoyed watching the birds outside her living room window. She was blessed with many cardinals, blue jays, finch, nuthatches, woodpeckers, Baltimore orioles, and many more. She had many feeders which were filled daily. Squirrels, possum, and raccoons were not her friends. She had been blessed a couple of times by a deer or two outside her window.

Challenged with a severe hearing loss, Evelyn kept up with the news by reading the Sioux City Journal as well as watching the 5:00, 5:30, and 6:00 news casts with closed captioning. She was a fan of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) with John Cena as her favorite. She enjoyed the music of the Gaither Family and Danny O’Donnell. (She cranked the sound high and appreciated closed captioning.) She gradually shifted her interests to Rick Steves’ Europe, Andre Rieu concerts, and country music shows.

Those left to honor Evelyn’s life are her daughter, Debbie (Marlan) Anderson, Sioux City; grandchildren, Marsha (Dale) Miller, Valpariaso, IN; Dan (Dawn) Krom, Woodbury, MN; Paul (Edie) Krom, Pittsburgh, PA; & Tim Krom, Dubuque, IA; great grandchildren: Michael Krom & Michelle Krom, Pittsburgh, PA; Keri (Tim) Miller, Kouts, IN; & Erin Miller, Winston-Salem, NC; and great-great grand-daughter: Natalee Miller, Kouts, IN. Many special friends will miss their dear friend.

She was also preceded in death by her daughter, Beverly.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the Bell Tower Theater Endowment Fund, 2728 Asbury Road, Dubuque, Iowa 52001, to the Dubuque Lutheran School Tuition Assistance Fund, 2145 John F. Kennedy Road, Dubuque, Iowa 52002, or to Hospice of Dubuque, 1670 JFK Road, Dubuque, Iowa 52002.

The family wishes to thank many people who touched Evelyn’s life while in Dubuque: Primary Caregiver – George Wm. Holland; Special Friends – Lorraine Brennan, Gertrude Klinge, Anita Eggers, Phil Marzen, Sue Riedel, Suzanne Blum; Home Care Givers – Mary Ann, Mary, Joan, Colleen, Linda, Michelle, CheyAnn, and Christine; Kathy, Kim, and Carolyn at the Stardust Beauty Salon; Dr. Ryan Stille and Staff at Medical Associates; Dr. Peggy Mulderig and Staff at Medical Associates; Dr. Jennifer Schope and Staff at Dubuque Internal Medicine; Wendt Regional Cancer Center - Dr. Bobby Koneru, Mary Carol, Julie, Laura, Mary, Theresa, Charlye, Rebecca, Taylor, Chris, Elayne, and Mike; Asbury Hy-Vee Pharmacy Staff; the Kuttler Dental Team at Fountain Park; Steve at Carter Hearing Aid Center; and Melanie, Stephanie, Suzanne, Jan, Shirley, and Sharon of Hospice of Dubuque.