Caroline Elizabeth Phillips

**UPDATED** Caroline Elizabeth Phillips (Freese, Rohach), 93, passed peacefully among family on Saturday, March 23, 2024, at the Iowa Veterans home in Marshalltown.

A Funeral Mass will be held Tuesday, April 2 at 10:30am at St. Henry’s Catholic Church in Marshalltown. Burial will be at Garwin Union Cemetery. The funeral mass will be recorded by Mitchell Family Funeral Home and posted on their website. Visitation will be 4-6 pm Monday, April 1 at Mitchell Family Funeral Home in Marshalltown. Memorials may be directed to the family. For additional information or to send a condolence to the family, please visit www.mitchellfh.com or call 641-844-1234.

Caroline was born on January 15, 1931, in rural Melbourne, Iowa, the daughter of Leo and Frieda (Neuroth) Freese.

With an early love of sports, she became a member of the Rhodes High School basketball team before graduating in 1949. In addition to sports, Caroline enjoyed music and occasionally entertained family and friends by playing her accordion!  After graduation, Caroline trained as a teletype operator in Kansas City and began working for Trans World Airlines. Her work with TWA brought her to live in New York City and Miami, where Leo and Frieda had a chance to travel and visit their daughter.

On February 15, 1954, she was united in marriage to Wesley Rohach at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Rhodes, Iowa. She and Wes shared a farm west of Garwin, where they raised their 5 children, Steve, Dave, Jane, Jerry, and Donna. They enjoyed farming, gardening and teaching their children the value of hard work. They supported them in their many high school and college activities, rarely missing any. Caroline was active in the St. Boniface Rosary Society and the Garwin Legion Auxiliary. She began working in the Farmers Savings Bank in Garwin in the late 70’s. After Wes died of cancer in 1983, she continued to work in Garwin and spent time traveling throughout Iowa, Wisconsin, California and Minnesota to spend time with her children and grandchildren. In 1992, Caroline met Vernon (Bud) Phillips, a fellow Rhodes graduate. They married and made their home in Clemons, Iowa where they enjoyed time with family, golf, travel and especially winters in Arizona for over 15 years.

In her retirement years, Caroline enjoyed reading, dancing, playing cards, baking, church activities, the arts and watching athletic events. While in Arizona she even rediscovered her artistic talents and enjoyed painting. Her travels took her across the United States, Europe and South America.

Survivors include five children: Steve (Jo) Rohach, Ottumwa, Dave Rohach, Minneapolis, Jane (Dwight) Fritts, Cedar Falls, Jerry (Marcie) Rohach, Grimes, IA and Donna (Mark) Prusha, Waunakee, WI, 13 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren. Bud’s children: Vernita (Larry) Conley, Vickie (Norman) Tjelmeland, Vance (Kathleen) Phillips, Virgil (Cindy) Phillips, Vaughn (Rachel) Phillips; 10 grandchildren, 15 great grandchildren, 2 great-great grandchildren and brother Earl (Linda) Freese, sister JoAnne DeFrance, sister-in-law Helga Freese and many nieces and nephews.

Preceding her in death were her parents, husband Wesley Rohach, husband Bud Phillips, sister and brother-in-law Lorraine and Lewis Rolwes, brother and sister in-law Laverne and Barb Freese, brother Charles Freese, and nephew Eugene Rolwes.

Lovingly written by the family.