Phyllis Veronica Skala

About Phyllis

Phyllis attended 1st through 6th grade at the Ebro one room Country School and secondary school at Bagley completing 9th grade.

Remarkably she only lived in two places her whole life. She grew up in Ebro, and at the age of 15 she met James Frank Skala (the love of her life) at a barn dance at his farm. At 16 they were married on January 23, 1952, moving to the family farm where she resided until her final day, March 28. She wished to live her life out at her home, and she did just that.

From day one, she was an excellent farmers wife working hard along with her husband, Jim. Not only raising there own kids, but helping with other people’s kids as well.

She started with no plumbing in their home, washing clothes by hand, graduating to a wringer washer, hanging the clothes out on the line to dry. Side note - on the wringer washer … once she actually made butter in it.

She was an amazing cook and baker … most days the kids came home from school to fresh baked bread. At harvest time we took full hot meals including dessert out to the workers in the field. They had a large garden (which the kids did not appreciate at the time) doing an amazing amount of canning and freezing food, raised and butchered around 100 chickens every summer (which the kids also did not appreciate at the time, but did appreciate her fried chicken and swear it was the best in the world!).

Jim was also a logger and Phyllis even helped in the woods before the kids were old enough. She also worked for a short period of time as a Nurses Aid at the Bagley Hospital. But she would say her Tupperware career was a highlight of their life. She sold Tupperware from 1974 for around 12 years. She excelled in the Tupperware business becoming Number One in sales over everyone else for several years. She earned lots of furnishings for their home as well as multiple trips and many different cars.

Her last many years she worked at the Shooting Star Casino, from it's opening until 2020. While there she furthered her education, getting her GED and many college courses. She started in the basement in the ticket office and worked her way up to being the Marketing Office Manager and that's the position she retired from in 2020. While working there she met many famous people such as, Conway Twitty, Loretta Lynn, George Jones, Tammy Wynette, Charlie Pride, Tanya Tucker to mention a few.

She along with Jim taught their kids the basic good skills of hard work (which the kids also did not appreciate at the time.)

She regularly gave to many charities such as: Ronald McDonald House, Make-A-Wish, St. Jude's Children's, and Wounded Warriors.

She enjoyed bird watching and feeding birds on her deck, feeding the many wild cats and playing cards with family and friends. She loved doing word search puzzle books. Monday and Friday nights were Bingo nights at the Little Dipper Casino, and she loved playing Bingo. Christmas time she made, and hand delivered, homemade cheese balls to family and friends.

Phyllis was a very accomplished women with five generations: loved dearly by her six children, 21 grandchildren, 49 great-grandchildren, 9 great-great grandchildren and counting, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends that became like family.

Phyllis is survived by her children – Susan (Vern) Colgrove of Maple Grove, Minnesota; James Jr. (Charlene) Skala of Cass Lake, Minnesota; Clarence Skala of Mahnomen, Minnesota; Marjorie (Joe) Bronczyk of Shevlin, Minnesota; Karen (Raymond) Auginaush of Bagley, Minnesota; Sister Francis Johnson of Bagley, Minnesota; and Son-in-law – Tom Comstock of Otsego, Minnesota; Also numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends that became like family. 21 grandchildren, 49 great grandchildren and 9 great, great grandchildren and counting.

Phyllis was preceded in death by her parents; her husband - James Frank Skala; Children - Kathy Skala, Paul Skala and Diane Comstock; Siblings – Gladys Merzneich, Merrilla Paulson, Russell La Duke, Clarence LaDuke, Harold LaDuke, Margaret Scholl, Joni Pedersen and Katherine LaDuke.

memorial service

Funeral Services for Phyllis

April 7, 2023

Cease Family Funeral Home 407 Getchell Ave NE, Bagley, MN 56621, USA

Visitation will be on April 6, 2023 from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at the Cease Family funeral Home Chapel in Bagley and one hour prior to the services at the funeral home. Interment will be at the Bagley City Cemetery at a later date.

Funeral/Cremation Provider: Cease Family Funeral Home