Phyllis Ann Hylla, age 71

St. Cloud (formerly St. Joseph)
May 7, 1951– May 29, 2022

Phyllis Ann (Altrichter) Hylla, age 71, passed away May 29, 2022, at her home in St. Cloud, Minnesota.  Phyllis was born on May 7, 1951, at St. Gabriel’s Hospital in Little Falls, Minnesota, to Alex and Marie (Thesing) Altrichter, the second oldest of nine children.  She grew up on her parents’ hobby farm in Green Prairie Township near Little Falls.  As the oldest daughter, she helped her mother in caring for the younger children and with other household chores and gardening, sneaking off to read a book whenever she could.  Phyllis attended country school, at Little Elk District 1195, through the sixth grade, and then continued her junior and senior high school years in Little Falls, graduating with the class of 1969.   She was a good student and enjoyed her classes at every level.  She was very interested in current events and learning about American government and the Constitution in particular.  After graduation, she attended vocational school in St. Cloud to earn her General Secretarial degree. Phyllis enjoyed a successful career in administrative support, sales, and marketing, and her natural leadership skills and work ethic were recognized and rewarded.

Phyllis married Daryl Hylla on September 10, 1971, at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Little Falls, Minnesota.  They made their home in St. Joseph, Minnesota, and raised two daughters together. Upon retirement, they moved to St. Cloud, and recently celebrated 50 years of marriage.   Phyllis was proud of her daughters and their accomplishments, and they enjoyed each other’s company on a regular basis.  Phyllis loved her retirement years, spending time with Daryl and her family, shopping, traveling, sipping wine, and reading good books.  She also enjoyed sewing quilts and other items to decorate her home and to gift to her family to be treasured reminders of her love.  Her grandchildren were her pride and joy, and each was invited to spend a special week with her every summer, which was precious time to reconnect, have fun, laugh, and impart a bit of wisdom.  Phyllis also enjoyed the company of close friends, sharing life’s moments as the years rolled by.  She was an accomplished cook and baker and was always looking for just one more cookbook or recipe.  She was a gracious hostess, and everyone felt welcomed and special when they entered her home.  Phyllis loved all the seasons, maybe not winter so much, and the holidays, especially Christmas, and she enjoyed decorating her home and planning the holiday meals, like soupe de peche, to celebrate with her family each year.  She enjoyed flower gardening, and her favorites were peonies, lilies, and anything purple.  She had a knack for putting the perfect colors together to achieve beautiful displays.  Phyllis was generous with her love and thankful for the life she was blessed to share with Daryl, her family, and all those she loved and held dear.

Phyllis is survived by her husband, Daryl Hylla; daughters, Stephanie Hylla and Jessica Hylla (Guy Low); four grandchildren, Mackenzie Lach, Maya Lach, Noah Lach, and Maron Lach; her brothers and sisters, Joseph (Kathleen) Altrichter, Wayne (Patricia) Altrichter, Dianne Altrichter, Luanne (Frank) Baross, Alex (Melanie) Altrichter, Jr; James (Mary) Altrichter, Paul (Julie) Altrichter, and Bernadette (Michael) Atzl; sister-in-law, Sandra Hentges; sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Judith and LeRoy Coyne; brother-in-law, Theron Hylla; aunts and uncles, Betsy and Clarence Koering of Carlos and Roy and Connie Thesing of Carlos; nieces and nephews, cousins and many good friends.  She was preceded in death by her parents; her parents-in-law, Frank and Florence Hylla; her brother-in-law, Timothy Hylla; her brother-in-law, Albert Hentges; and her great-niece, Grace Elizabeth Lee.

Mass of Christian Burial will be 12:00 p.m. Friday, June 3, 2022, at St. Anthony Catholic Church, St. Cloud, MN.

Visitation will be Thursday from 4:00-7:00 p.m. at the Wenner Funeral Home in Cold Spring, MN. The Christian Mothers will lead a Rosary at 8:30 a.m. and visitation will begin at 9:00 a.m., Friday, at St. Anthony Catholic Church.

Arrangements are with Wenner Funeral Home, Cold Spring.

Wenner Funeral Home