Obituaries : Carolyn Hilda (Schirm) Spencer

Carolyn Hilda (Schirm) Spencer, 81, of Fairfax, Iowa, passed away in her beloved condo on January 28, 2026.

Visitation will be held at Phillips Funeral Home Chapel (212 E. 6th Street, Vinton, IA) on Monday, February 2, 2026 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM, with funeral services following. Interment will be held at Spencer’s Grove Cemetery in Urbana. Following the graveside service, family and friends are invited to celebrate Carolyn’s wonderful life at O-Zones in Urbana.

Our mom was born March 23, 1944 to Edgar and Elsie (Hessenius) Schirm in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and raised as a farm girl. She graduated from Urbana High School in 1962. She was a cheerleader at Urbana High School and never let you forget it, she was so proud of this, talking about it until we lost her. To this day, she remains close to her dear school friends, Leita Duello, Sharon McElrath, and Diane Long.

Our mom worked for Lil Drug Store for over 25 years from home, so we were blessed that she was a stay-at-home Mom. She loved to paint, and was climbing ladders and staining decks well into her 70’s. She loved NASCAR (Petty’s), Iowa Basketball, mountains, Pepsi, coffee, driving her Chevy’s, thrifting, and reality T.V. She admired Marty Robbins, Johnny Cash, Neil Diamond, and George Strait.

She married our wonderful father, Richard Lee Spencer on April 30, 1966. She is joining him in Heaven, and this eases our pain a little knowing they are now together again. They lived in the same home in Cedar Rapids as we grew up. A loving home we will forever remember, where neighbor kids would come to play, because our mom loved all our friends. If you set her on a task to find something, she would go to 20 stores to find it, just to make someone happy. Years ago, when you couldn’t think of an answer to something, Carolyn was a phone call away, and always solved the mystery. She was sharp as a tack, funny as heck, loved to gossip, stubborn as all get out, but the kindest soul you would ever know.

She is survived by her daughters, Carrie Sue (Doug) Minor, Paulette Elizabeth Lena Spencer; Step-daughter, Cindy Lou (Kevin) Lawler; Grandchildren, Ashlee and Logan Spencer, Spencer Minor, Rick (Robin) Lawler, Jen (Zach) Farrow, Rob (Laura) Lawler, Mike Lawler, Maggie Lawler, Mary (Hunter) Pieken; and 15 great-grandchildren whom she adored dearly. Her biggest smile came when her great grandkids, Vinny and Vienna, would come running into her condo hollering “great grandma!”

She was preceded in death by her husband of 39 years, Richard Lee Spencer; her father and mother Edgar and Elsie Schirm; and her uncle, Slim “Waldo” Hessenius.

The last 2 years she fought a hard battle, so as always, we cherished every day with her. So many memories with this spunky, spit fire of a lady we will forever remember. We love you Mom/Ma/Granny.

A special thank you to St. Luke’s UnityPoint Hospice for their wonderful care to Carolyn for the past 10 months. To her nurse, James, and aide, Bobbi Jo, your time, patience, and tender care given to our mom we appreciate with all their hearts.