Cecilia Mary (Riffil) PACKARD

PACKARD, RIFFIL, WALROD, ANDERSON

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 2/10/2024 at 13:06:51

April 22, 1941 --- May 27, 2021

Cecilia "Sally" Packard, 80, of Belmond, Iowa, formerly of the Renwick, Iowa, area, died Thursday, May 27, 2021, at the Iowa Specialty Hospital-Belmond, after a brief battle with cancer. Funeral services will be at 11 AM, Wednesday, June 2, 2021, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 304 3rd Avenue Northeast Belmond. The Reverend Katie Pals. Burial will be with her husband Larry at the cemetery in Elmwood Boone Township Cemetery-Renwick. Public visitation will be Tuesday from 5-7 PM at the Andrews Funeral Home, 516 1st Street Southeast, Belmond and will continue one hour prior to the services at church Wednesday. Memorials in Sally's memory may be directed % of her family, or to a local Chapter of the American Cancer Society, the Renwick Vernon Veteran's Memorial-Harold Trask the VFW Ladies' Auxiliary, or to the donor's choice.

Cecilia Mary Riffil was born April 22, 1941, in New Jersey, the daughter of Louis and Beatrice Riffil. Her mother died when Sally was a child and she was raised by her father and stepmother Cay. Sally attended school and graduated from high school in Newark, NJ.

Sally met her husband Larry in 1962 and they were married in 1963 at the United Methodist Church, Renwick, IA, The couple then made their home and farmed Northeast of Renwick and raised their three children: Mike, Missy, and Kurt.

In addition to being a farm wife and full-time mother, Sally had been employed for a period of time at the bank in Humboldt, IA.

Sally loved her role as a loving wife and nurturing mother and looked forward to any and all life occasions that meant she was involved in their lives and supported them in each endeavor. Sally cherished her grandchildren was their number one cheerleader in all that they did. Their love for her was mutual. Sally and Larry enjoyed attending their children and grandchildren's activities. The two loved their life on the farm and looked forward to family vacations and a favorites destination was fishing trips to Lake of the Woods. She loved to be around the water and going for a cruise around the lakes. Following Larry's passing in November 2002, she continued to live on the farm. Sally continued to enjoy travels and had taken many trips with her lady friends and bus tours over the years. She loved the outdoors and was known for her larger flower and vegetable gardens on the farm.

In 2009, she moved from the farm to Belmond to be closer to her daughter Missy. She continued her love for raising flowers and plants and spent time relaxing watching and feeding the birds and watching butterflies in her back yard. She loved animals, especially horses and had a soft spot in her heart for her dogs. Sally was known for her caring, friendly and warm personality. Her love for helping others shown through in her years in Belmond where she often took people to their appointments, helped with their house cleaning, or took them shopping. Sally's family and friends recall her love for canning produce from her gardens. They reflect fondly upon her wonderful baking and her being "The Best Cook!". Specialties included peanut butter balls and clusters, ham and bean soup, and of course her delicious deviled eggs.

She always had a strong faith life from her early Catholic upbringing to her many years as a member at St. Paul's Lutheran Church-Renwick where she was active in the church women's fellowship and taught Sunday School. She will be remember as a gentle soul, who loved to tease, was always willing to give, was very independent, and full of spunk.

She is surviving by her loving family including her son Mike Packard, Renwick, her daughter Missy Walrod, Belmond, and her son Kurt (Darla) Packard, Renwick; her grandchildren Travis Walrod (Hayley Anderson) and Taylor Walrod, and Zachary and Aries Packard. Sally was preceded in death by her father, mother, step mother, husband Larry, and her sister Lois at age 19, brother-in-law, Steve Packard and sister-in-law, Corky Packard and one niece. Andrews Funeral Homes, Belmond, IA.