Sally Synhorst

Funeral services for Sally Synhorst, 93, of Knoxville, Iowa will be held on Monday, March 7, 2022, at 10:30 a.m. at the Knoxville First United Methodist Church. The family will receive friends on Sunday afternoon, from 2:00 until 5:00 p.m., at the church.

The service will be livestreamed at the following link: https://my.gather.app/remember/sally-synhorst

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Knoxville First United Methodist Church.

Busy hardworking hands. Sally’s hands were always working making beautiful things for loved ones, teaching others how to do a skill, and showing her love through special treats.

Born in the Depression Era, on March 2, 1929, to Worth and Irene Mott, Sally knew how to use wisely what she had and let nothing go to waste. As a young girl, Sally attended country schools in the Marion County area. She graduated from Knoxville High School with the class of 1947. On March 3, 1948, Sally was united in marriage to Abraham John Synhorst.

Sally and Abe were blessed with three children: Fran, Don, and Tom. Sally was a proud mother and farm wife. She instilled a good work ethic in her children and was such a support to Abe on the farm, whether it was working alongside him or making sure that he had coffee time.

She was an excellent cook, always ensuring that there were cookies in the porch fridge for treats. The grandchildren all remember helping make the noodles for her special roast beef and noodles. Sally also shared her cooking skills with her community. She started cooking for Knoxville Community Schools, at both the elementary and high school level, in 1962. She prepared meals for countless students for many years. Sally also worked just across the road, at the county care facility, cooking for the residents.

Sally showed her love for her family and friends through handmade gifts. She made hundreds of beautiful quilts, works of art in needlepoint and cross stitch, and innumerable jars of canned goods from her garden. Sally loved spending time planting and harvesting her garden. She also kept an impressive collection of potted flowers every year. When the weather turned cold, Sally would recruit the grandchildren to carry the flowers inside. Her green thumb kept a Christmas cactus that belonged to her grandmother thriving for over 100 years! Starts from the cactus have been gifted to many family members. Sally’s family will tell you that she was a giver, even if you didn’t want the gift.

Sally had a bit of a reputation for bringing a gun to protect her flowers and garden. Pesky squirrels didn’t stand a chance, as she was quite a good shot. She loved bird watching and cardinals were her favorite. She also made the best mushrooms. Once, when visiting Tom and Ben in New York City, Sally opted to skip the fancy restaurants and stay in to fry up the mushrooms that she’d brought from Iowa.

An avid lifetime member of the Knoxville First United Methodist Church, Sally helped out whenever she could. She enjoyed being a member of the Rachel Circle Bible Study and hosted the group many times in her own home. Sally never hesitated to help a neighbor in need. She was a member of the Our Day Out club and a 4-H leader for many years.

Sally passed away March 3, 2022, at The Cottages in Pella, Iowa. She is survived by her children: Fran (Roger) Christian, Don (Cinda) Synhorst, and Tom (Ben) Synhorst; grandchildren: Codi (Mark) Prachar, Tanner (Courtney) Synhorst, AJ (Amber) Christian, Ben (Laura) Christian, Dena (Luke) Boyd, and Tom (Courtney) Christian; great grandchildren: Bale and Vada Prachar, Dirk, Loren, and Clay Synhorst, Anthony, Brooks, and Chance Christian, Emily, Claire, David, and Daniel Christian, and Maria and Sally Boyd, plus one on the way; and siblings: Marilyn Hale and Benny Mott.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Abe and brother, Corwin Mott.