Lisa Grabenbauer

Lisa Marie Grabenbauer, 54, of Marshalltown, passed away on Tuesday, May 19, 2015 at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Funeral services for Lisa will be held on Monday, May 25, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. at St Marys Catholic Church in Marshalltown. Visitation will be held Sunday, May 24, 2015 from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. with a rosary to follow at the Mitchell Family Funeral Home in Marshalltown. Burial will take place on Tuesday, May 26, 2015 at 1:00 p.m. at Riverside Cemetery in Marshalltown. Memorials may be directed to the family. For more information or to send a condolence; please visit www.mitchellfh.com or call 641-844-1234. Mitchell Family Funeral Home is caring for Lisa and her family. Lisa Grabenbauer was born on December 17, 1960 in Marshalltown to Hubert and Virginia Specht Grabenbauer. Lisa was a member of the Marshalltown High School class of 1979. Lisa then went on to get her degree in Human Services at Buena Vista University. Lisa was active in various organizations focused on diabetes awareness and the need for organ donation; two areas that dominated her life. Being a transplant recipient herself, Lisa used her passion for organ donation to train and compete in the 1996 US Transplant Games. Lisa won 2 bronze medals in swimming and also received the prestigious Mickey Mantle Courage Award for overcoming significant challenges in order to participate in the games. She was a talented artist and particularly enjoyed using different techniques to paint and draw wildlife. Lisa is remembered by her health care team for her determination and strong will as she faced ongoing medical adversity and declining health. Friends found Lisa to be kind, faithful, brave and unselfish. She showed her free and generous spirit and crazy sense of humor to everyone she encountered and her laugh will be greatly missed. Lisa loved children and was very close to her nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews. She always made Christmas a spectacle for them and often went overboard with presents just so she could see the joy it brought them. Lisa is survived by her mother Virginia (Richard) Ferneau of Marshalltown. Siblings: Alvan Grabenbauer and Mark Grabenbauer of Marshalltown. Nieces: Nalaina (Stephanie) Baker of Milliken, Colorado and Melissa (Carl) Harrison of Mulberry, Kansas. Nephews: Kevin Grabenbauer of Nevada and Andrew Grabenbauer of Colo. Great nephews: Brayden Schmidt of Milliken, Colorado and Byron Whitaker of Mulberry, Kansas. Great nieces: Riley Whitaker of Mulberry, Kansas, Addysin Harrison of Mulberry, Kansas and Carly Harrison of Mulberry, Kansas and her lifelong best friend Susan Holm. Lisa is also survived by her beloved pets Cassie and Abbie and numerous other relatives and friends. Lisa is preceded in death by her father Hubert. Fianc: Greg Brown. Grandparents: Pius (Agnes) Grabenbauer, Grace Mae Boyle and Alva Specht and her Aunts MaryAnn Grabenbauer Huseboe, Charlotte Specht Mulcahy and Evelyn Specht Eige.