Carlene K. (Schager) Peyton

Carlene K. (Schager) Peyton, 78, of Dows passed away Thursday, February 22, 2018 at Mercy Medical Center – North Iowa in Mason City.

Carlene, the daughter of Carl Bernard “C.B.” and Ruby (Myers) Schager, was born April 20, 1939 in Hampton, Iowa. Carlene grew up in Dows and graduated from Dows High School in 1957. She then attended St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota.

Carlene married her high school sweetheart, Norman Peyton on September 13, 1958 at the First Lutheran Church in Dows. They lived and farmed southwest of Dows before moving to a farm just east of town in 1961 where they lived and farmed until moving into Dows in 1995.

She was employed for a short time at the Dows Post Office in 1967 before beginning her career at the Farmers’ State Bank, now the United Bank and Trust Company. Carlene retired in 2003 after 35 years of service at the bank where so many of her customers felt like friends.

Carlene was very active in her community and was one of the two first female members of the local Lions’ Club. She served on the Wright County Election Board and was a member of a quilting club that provides quilts to the youth shelter in Mason City. In the past, she served on the Dows Corn Days parade committee for many years and the Dows Centennial Entertainment Committee in 1980. She had also been a board member of the Dows Library, member of the Historical Society and Depot Restoration Committee, and she prepared meals for Senior Citizens for many years. She was also a member of the First Lutheran Church of Dows.

Carlene was proud of her Norwegian heritage, and was a master in the art of lefse-making and like a good Norwegian, enjoyed it with lutefisk at the holidays. She was an avid Cyclone fan and along with her husband attended football, basketball, and wrestling meets for 32 years. However, she did enjoy cheering on the Hawkeyes as well as the Western Illinois Leathernecks, and Arizona State Sun Devils when grandchildren attended school there. When she and her husband were first married they enjoyed dancing together, especially to the song, “Cab Driver”, and they still enjoyed attending the local Texas Jams together to watch the dancers and listen to music.

Carlene was very creative and always seemed to find new ways to share her creativity with others. Throughout her life she enjoyed a variety of hobbies including quilting, gardening, cooking, sewing, canning produce, bird-watching, ceramics, rosmaling, genealogy, stamp and coin collecting, antiquing, all things Pioneer, and many others. There were usually multiple projects going on around her house and she was always working on something for someone. But she was most happy when she was with, or talking about her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. They were the sparkle in her eye.

Carlene is survived by her husband of 59 years Norman; son Flint (Judy) Peyton of Keokuk and their children Ryan Horner and daughter Kendra of Keokuk and Ashley (Zach) Hinkle and their children Austin and Sophia of Kansas City; daughter Kristin (James Strohman) Peyton of Ames and their children Isaac (Kelsey) Strohman and their daughter Ava of West Des Moines, Ambrose Strohman and friend (Carley Hersom) of Tempe, Arizona, Stella Maris Strohman and Endylion Strohman both of Ames; sister Amber Jill Schager; brother Roger Schager; brother-in-law Bill (Sondra) Peyton, sister-in-law Mary Castino; along with extended family and many friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, parents-in-law Marvin and Elaine Peyton, brother Craig, sisters-in-law Linda and Evadne, and brother-in-law Frank.

Funeral services for Carlene Peyton will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, March 3, 2018 at First Lutheran Church, 206 West Ellsworth Street in Dows with Pastor Shawn Hill officiating.

Visitation will be held from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM on Friday, March 2, 2018 at First Lutheran Church and will continue one hour prior to services on Saturday.