Obituaries » Kay E. Mueller
Kay E. Mueller
February 22, 1941 - April 25, 2022
Kay Eileen (DuCharme) Mueller, 81, of Ankeny, passed away on Monday, April 25, 2022 at Sunny View Care Center due to complications from Parkinson’s Disease.
A memorial service will be held at 11:00am on Friday, May 6, 2022 at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 1100 SE Sharon Drive, Ankeny, IA 50021. Visitation will be from 9am to 10:30am, prior to the service.
Kay was born on February 22, 1941 to Walter and Marion (Law) DuCharme in Saginaw, MI. She grew up in Freeland, MI and graduated from Arthur Hill High School in 1959. Then she attended Michigan State University, where she met her future husband, Mark. They were married June 9, 1962 and moved to Tipton, IN in June 1963 after Mark’s college graduation.
Kay was a devoted mother to her four children. While raising her family in Tipton, Kay was very active in church and community volunteer organizations, holding offices in most of them. She was especially passionate about her volunteer work with the American Heart Association. When her kids were all in school, Kay enrolled part time at Indiana University at Kokomo and earned a Bachelor of Arts in General Studies. An instructor saw her talent for Communication Studies and encouraged her to continue her studies. With help at home from her family and with a teaching assistantship to earn her tuition, Kay completed her Masters of Arts from Ball State University. She then taught classes at Ball State until moving to Ankeny, IA in 1991.
In Iowa, Kay continued her career as a college instructor at Iowa State and later taught classes at other local colleges. For a few years, she enjoyed putting her communication skills into action as a salesperson at Amish Haus Furniture, and then she went back to teaching at Iowa State where she was well loved by her students.
Kay touched so many with her love and joy, her beautiful smile, and her infectious laughter. She extended her motherly love to exchange students from Finland and Japan and to her cherished grandchildren. She opened her heart to her friends, her students, her volunteer work, and in recent years to her caregivers. She loved college football and basketball, crossword puzzles, photography, traveling, and playing bridge with friends. What she loved most was spending time talking and laughing with her family.
She is survived by her beloved husband of almost 60 years, Mark Mueller; her four children, Lauri (Jeff) Wagaman, Kristi (Bill) Bennett, Cathy (Paul) Boenitz, and Dave Mueller; her nine grandchildren, Jordan, Bradley, Liam and Avery Wagaman, Lyn Bennett, Claire, Joel and Nico Boenitz, and Jaavin Mueller; her brothers, Robert (Marilyn) DuCharme and Donald (Kathy) DuCharme; and many loved nephews, nieces, and other family and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents; and her younger brothers, Thomas and Delton DuCharme.
The family would like to sincerely thank the caregivers at Sunny View Care Center for the care, friendship, and love they offered in her time there.
Memorial contributions can be made in her honor to the American Heart Association or the Parkinson Research Foundation.