Michelle Lamphier

Michelle Leslie Lamphier gave up her courageous fight with ovarian cancer one week before her 60th birthday (May 31, 1961-May 24, 2021) at Mercy One Hospice in Mason City. It is her wish for no more grieving, so we would like to invite her family and friends to a “Celebration of Life” in her honor Saturday, July 17 at 2 p.m. at Green Valley Getaway, located at 78 16th Avenue NW, Waukon.

She leaves two sons, Benjamin Timothy and Michael John, both of Omaha, NE; her sister, Jenny (Dennis) Bockhaus of Nora Springs; her brother, Mike Lamphier of Lisbon; her nephew, Tony (Kaitlyn Nelson) Bockhaus of Webster City; and an incredible group of family and friends who shared the journey with her. She was pretty proud of her “village”.

She talked of her reunion with her parents, Harry and LaVonne Lamphier; her grandparents, Joy and Bonnie Lamphier and Lester and Clara Pollow; as well as other family and friends she missed.

Michelle was born in Waterloo, attended school in Dorchester (her first, best home), graduated from the Class of ‘79 at Waukon Senior High, and later attended NIACC to become a medical secretary. She was an optician for Shopko Optical and most recently, Advanced Family Eyecare in Independence.

Michelle took a job with Kids Network for Millard Public Schools when her boys were little and worked there for many years, developing strong friendships and connecting with kids. This girl always had a song in her heart and hummed her way through most days.

Shell had a very strong sense of family, humor, loyalty and lifelong friends.  She was so much stronger than she realized and had such a positive outlook.