Tampa - Phyllis Ann Mueller, 88, passed away June 6, 2021 at her residence in Tampa. She was born January 28, 1933 in Tampa to William and Lydia (Galliart) Rhode. She married Butch Mueller January 28, 1951 in Tampa. She was a cashier at the Tampa State Bank in Tampa. Survivors include: son, Rodney L. Mueller of Tampa; daughter, Jody (Ron) Heath of Salina; sisters, Ophelia Jacobson of Wichita, Edna (Paul) Backhus of Tampa; 3 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. Predeceased by her husband Butch Mueller in 1994. Funeral Service 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, June 9, 2021 at St. John's Lutheran Church in Tampa Officiated by Rev. Clark M. Davis. Interment in the Tampa Lutheran cemetery in Tampa. Memorials to St. John's Lutheran Church in care of Jost Funeral Home P.O. Box 266 Hillsboro, Kansas 67063. Online condolences at www.jostfuneralhome.com.
Phyllis Ann (Rhode) Mueller peacefully passed away with her immediate family present at her bedside in her home in Tampa, Kansas on June 6th, 2021, at the age of 88.
Phyllis was born to William John Rhode and Lydia Elizabeth (Galliart) Rhode on the family farm in Tampa, Kansas January 28th, 1933. She was the middle child of the three famous "Rhode girls". Ophelia Jacobson and Edna Backhus were her sisters. They all worked on the family farm southeast of Tampa with their parents. Phyllis was known to be on the tractor at an early age helping her father.
Phyllis graduated from Tampa High School in 1949 at the age of 16. She went to school a year early to be with her older sister Ophelia.
Phyllis married Lloyd George "Butch" Mueller January 28, 1933. They were blessed with 2 children, Rodney Lloyd Mueller ( the ornery one) and Jody Jolene (Mueller) Heath (the spoiled one). They lived on a farm for the first few years of their marriage and moved to Tampa city limits where together they built a 4 room house into the present home today.
Phyllis worked at the Tampa State Bank as cashier for 56 years from 1954 to 2010. She also owned and operated Butch's Diner with her husband for many years. She would work in the cafe in the early morning and head to her banking job at 9. She would come back and work the lunch hour with her husband and sister-in-law Agnes Steinert and return to the bank at 1. They had supper run after her work was done at the bank and she would go home at night around 9. Phyllis could not sit still and was always working on something. Her work ethic was phenomenal. They were known best for Sunday pan fried chicken dinners. The area around Tampa for many miles would come to eat Sunday dinner. She loved to cook and loved her time in the restaurant even though she frequently would say " we are just killing ourselves with this hard work".
She was a charter member of the Tampa Ambulance crew from 1978 to 1993 with her husband Butch. Phyllis always wanted to be a nurse and was able to somewhat fulfill this dream with the ambulance work. She did manage to convince her daughter to follow the dream that she had for herself. Phyllis enjoyed helping people. For many years, she was a caregiver for her parents as their health failed.
Phyllis was a member of St. John's Lutheran Church in Tampa.
Phyllis did enjoy bowling. She and Butch were in mixed leagues and she followed Butch around while he bowled in various leagues and tournaments. After Butch passed away, she bowled with her children for some time while she was able.
Phyllis would always make time to watch her kids play sports in school and their various activities. There were summer baseball and softball games that she attended in those hot summer months and loved to watch her kids and their friends play ball. She was able to watch her grandchildren in some activities until her health slowed her down.
Phyllis enjoyed her 3 grandchildren, Michael Mueller (Sheila) of Laramie, Wyoming and Danielle Heath and Tyler Heath of Salina. She also had 3 great-grandchildren Thomas, Saige and Dane Mueller. She loved children and enjoyed when she could spoil them.
The family would like to express their appreciation for the outpouring of support from all of their family and friends. We are thankful for our memories with our mother and grandmother and will miss her dearly.