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Phyllis Riggs, 89, passed away Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021, at Mount Ayr Health Care Center in Mount Ayr.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021, at Armstrong Funeral Home in Mount Ayr . Visitation will be from 1 to 2 p.m. Tuesday at Armstrong Funeral Home. Burial will be at a later date.
Memorials should be directed to EveryStep Hospice or Mount Ayr Health Care Center, both of Mount Ayr.
Phyllis Naomi Perkins was born Dec. 1, 1931, to Claude and Edith (McNab) Perkins in Claremont, South Dakota. She was welcomed by older brother David and later joined by brothers Dalt and Gus and one sister, Alice. Phyllis graduated from Claremont High School and worked in a bank for a short time after high school.
In 1950, Phyllis married Charles Swanson and moved to Ringgold County in 1951. Phyllis and Charles were blessed with three children: Thomas Carl, Michael Dean and Sue Ann. Phyllis and Charles divorced in 1979. In 1986 Phyllis married Carl Riggs and moved to Tingley. Carl passed away in 1996.
Phyllis was a wonderful wife and mother and loved her family very much. She worked at various jobs such as waitressing at Ruth’s Cafe, painting and wallpapering for people and running a business of rental houses. She was a very active member of the community and after moving to Tingley became very involved with the Tingley Lions Club. She volunteered with the American Cancer Society Daffodil Days campaign. She was a regular church goer and also volunteered at Mt. Ayr Health Care Center for over 20 years. When Phyllis decided she wanted to move to the nursing home she happily chose to go there as a resident and enjoyed her time there.
Phyllis was preceded in death by her husband Carl, her parents, her brother David and an infant brother.
Left to mourn Phyllis are her children: Tom Swanson (Patty) of Sardinia, Ohio, Mike and (Martha) of Council Bluffs and Sue Tillman (Dennis) of Red Oak; grandchildren: Kris Swanson, Cassie Swanson and Elizabeth Barnett of Ohio, David Swanson of Arkansas, Bethany Swanson of Colorado, Brenna Tillman of Shanghai, China, Brett Tillman of Red Oak; six great-grandchildren: Charleigh Swanson, Abby Swanson, Kailee Haas, Landon, Keegan Eyre and Addy Swanson; two brothers Andrew Dalton and Mark (Gus) Perkins; sister Alice Eckhoff; one sister-in-law Isabel Perkins, as well as many nieces and nephews that were very important to her.