Phyllis Ruth Klarup

Phyllis Ruth Klarup, 88, died March 18, 2024, at Odd Fellow-Rebekah Home in Mattoon, Illinois.  A memorial celebration of Phyllis’ life will be held in the chapel of Wesley United Methodist Church, Charleston, Illinois, on April 20, 2024, at 10:00 AM, with a reception following.  Inurnment will be at a later date in Sioux Falls, SD.  Memorial donations may be made to Wesley United Methodist Church, 2206 4th St., Charleston, IL 61920, or a church of the donor’s choice.

Phyllis was born July 18, 1935, in Troy, New York to Rev. and Mrs. William Gerrit and Ruth Esther Vander Linden Maat.  She married Donald Klarup on June 21, 1956, in Defreestville, NY and they enjoyed over 57 years of marriage until Don’s death in 2013.  Survivors include her sister Lois Roberts (Lin) of Statesboro, GA; sister-in-law Barbara Maat of Crestone, CO; children Pamela Klarup (Michael Oswalt) of Putnam, IL, Douglas Klarup (Amy Lynch) of Charleston, IL, and Patricia Hoffman (Adam) of Fort Collins, CO; grandchildren Erin Lynch-Klarup of Seattle, WA, Kyle Klarup (Amy) of Salem, OR, Kincaid Hoffman of Redondo Beach, CA, and Riley Hoffman (Harouna Gadio) of Cincinnati, OH; great-granddaughter Natalia Klarup of Salem, OR and several nieces and nephews.   Phyllis was predeceased by her brothers David Maat and Howard Maat.

Phyllis was raised in Reformed Church parsonages in the Albany, NY area and graduated from Columbia High School, East Greenbush, NY in 1952. In 1956, she graduated from Hope College in Holland, Michigan, and then joined Don as he served as a United Methodist pastor in both North and South Dakota for the next 38 years.  Phyllis and Don moved to Illinois from South Dakota in 2005, living first in Savoy, Illinois where they attended Faith United Methodist Church. They moved to Charleston in 2012 where she joined Wesley United Methodist Church.

While raising their three children Phyllis supported Don in his ministry, being particularly adept at associating names with faces and understanding the family and social connections within each new congregation.  An avid reader, Phyllis also enjoyed working as a school library clerk in some of the communities in which they lived.  While she was able, Phyllis enjoyed extensive correspondence with the many friends she and Don had developed over the years.  In retirement Phyllis and Don remained committed to church activities and traveled extensively, including trips to Europe, Central America, and throughout the United States.  A gentle and caring soul, Phyllis will be remembered for her quiet strength and enduring faith. 

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