Eileen Rose “Lover” Denning,88 of Houghton, Iowa, passed away at 11:43 p.m. Monday, July 15, 2019 at Savannah Heights in Mount Pleasant, Iowa.
Born on July 9, 1931 in Fort Madison, Iowa, the daughter of Herbert H. and Rose Catherine (Schroeder) Stenger. On April 7, 1951, Eileen married James Denning at the Sacred Heart Church in Fort Madison, Iowa.
Survivors include her husband: Jim of Houghton; eight children: Tim (Sharon) Denning of Houghton, Monica Gallagher of Schaumburg, Illinois, Mike (Sally) Denning of Houghton, Iowa, Patricia Sallee of Salem, Iowa, Marilyn (Glen) Starkey of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, Linda (Sam) Baxter of Fort Madison, Iowa, Sam (Kim) Denning of Spring Hill, Kansas, and Philip (Jackie) Denning of Houghton, Iowa; thirty grandchildren, fifty-one great grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren; one sister: Annette Pollpeter of Burlington, Iowa. Also surviving are several nieces and nephews.
She is preceded in death by her parents; her twins: David and Dianne Denning; granddaughter: Darcy Denning; great granddaughter: Abby Denning; one brother Ed; four sisters: Marjorie, Genevieve, Helen and Carolyn.
Eileen graduated from Catholic Central High School in Fort Madison, Iowa. She was a member of Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church of Houghton, Iowa, the Altar and Rosary Society and a former member of the Madonna Circle Daughters of Isabella. Eileen enjoyed cleaning up around Houghton, talking to neighbors and traveling to softball games. She helped raise many kids in Houghton. She and Jerry Bentler, along with John Bentler wrote the Houghton History Book for the Houghton Centennial. Eileen especially enjoyed sitting on her front porch with her husband, Jim and family.
Friends may call after 12:00 p.m. Thursday, July 18, 2019 at Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church in Houghton, Iowa, where the family will receive friends from 3:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. There will be a rosary recited at 4:00 p.m. and a wake service at 7:00 p.m.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be Friday, July 19, 2019 at 10:30 a.m. at Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church in Houghton. Burial will follow at Saint John’s Cemetery in Houghton.
A memorial has been established in her memory for Holy Trinity Catholic Schools or Saint John the Baptist Church.
Online condolences may be made to the family atwww.schmitzfuneralhomes.com. Schmitz Funeral Home of West Point, Iowa is assisting the family with arrangements.
