We would like to offer our sincere support to anyone coping with grief. Enter your email below for our complimentary daily grief messages. Messages run for up to one year and you can stop at any time. Your email will not be used for any other purpose. This meant Sylvia was always part of a big church family wherever she went. It also meant moving to a new town each time her father was called to serve with a new congregation, so Sylvia grew up in Marshall, Lincoln, Galesburg, and La Grange, Illinois.
Gene loved car travel, and the Stauffers visited all 48 contiguous states when Sylvia was growing up. Among her best travel stories was a visit to the Hollywood set of Perry Mason, where she met the inimitable Della Street actress Barbara Hale.
By January , they were an item. During this time, Sylvia was also a proud member of the Alpha Delta Pi sorority, where she met many lifelong friends. The couple moved to Mt. Two years later, they moved to Iowa City, where Sylvia continued to teach while Phil completed his graduate studies.
In , the expectant parents moved to Toledo, Ohio, where they welcomed their daughter, Kerry, three days before Christmas.
In February , their family was complete with the arrival of their son, Tony. In April , the family moved back to Galesburg, and in , Phil and Sylvia built their own home in Henderson, Illinois. Throughout the s, Sylvia cared for her young children, built friendships in the community and served in various capacities at Emmanuel United Methodist Church. Under her direction, this group of young children, known as the Sonshine Choir, performed a number of challenging pieces, including a cantata.
