Phyllis Jane Gutsche
Phyllis Jane Gutsche passed away peacefully on February 9 2025, in Santa Barbara CA at 102 years old. The beloved wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother was born in 1922 in Waltham, Minnesota. She lived until the age of 12 in Hayfield, MN, before moving to St. Paul and was the third of four children born to Opal Kunze Stubstad and Lawrence Porter Stubstad.
She was strong, determined, and resilient. She survived scarlet fever as a child, the Great Depression as a teenager, a compound wrist fracture while playing tennis in her 50s, and COVID-19 at 100.
Phyllis met Lyle Gutsche in St. Paul and they were married in Columbia, Missouri in 1943, soon after Lyle enlisted in the Army Air Force. After World War II, they returned to St. Paul and began their family with the birth of Steven in 1946. The family moved to Richmond, CA, where Mark was born in 1949. A few years later the young family moved back to St. Paul where Gail arrived in 1954. After another stint in California, the Gutsches moved to the Village of Birchwood in White Bear Lake.
Phyllis was a master quilter who created dozens of vibrant, cheerful handstitched quilts for her extended family, each uniquely crafted for its recipient. An excellent cook and baker, Phyllis was serving grilled flank steak, Caesar salad, cheese souffle and Orange Chicken to friends and family back in the 70s. Dinner always ended with home-baked cookies, cakes, or pies. Her sweet rolls were legendary.
After Lyle retired in 1982, the couple bought a home in Borrego Springs, CA, where they spent winters exploring the de Anza Borrego Desert until his death in 1996. Phyllis bid Birchwood goodbye and moved to Santa Barbara permanently when she was 74. In her mid-nineties, she moved to Maravilla where she enjoyed playing Bridge and Rumikub with a rich group of friends. A formidable competitor, she didn’t like to lose and rarely did.
When asked at her 100 th birthday party what the secret to her longevity was, she replied, “Prayer and wine, in that order, every day.” Phyllis found her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ in her later years. She rests in eternal peace with Him now. The earthly world is poorer in her passing; heaven has gained a faithful servant.
Phyllis was preceded in death by her parents, Opal and Lawrence; her brothers Howard and Delbert; and her husband Lyle. She is survived by her brother Bill Stubstad of Denver; her children Steve (Marilyn) of Santa Barbara; Mark (Jean) of Sarasota, FL; Gail of Missoula MT; and six grandchildren and six great grandchildren.
Contributions in her honor may be made to the Serenity House Hospice, VNA Health Foundation, 509 E. Montecito Street, Suite 200, Santa Barbara, CA 93103.
