Dixie Kellerhals

Dixie was raised on a farm in Central Iowa, starting school in Zearing in 1943 and graduating from the same school in 1955. Dixie loved sports and performing. She was a member of the girls’ basketball team, music groups, clubs, concert and marching band, a drum majorette, cheerleader and graduated as Salutatorian of her class.

Her childhood ambition was to be a teacher, so after graduation she entered Iowa State Teachers College, where she was a member of the Delta Delta Phi Sorority, and received a two-year elementary teaching certificate in 1957.

On Aug. 17, 1958, she married Army veteran, Paul Kellerhals. As an Army wife for 30 years and an educator for 15 years, Dixie moved the home 27 times around the U.S., Germany and Korea. Between 1965 and 1976 the couple had five children and raised them in three different countries. Dixie especially loved Korean food and culture and taught English in Seoul for several years.

Dixie was a charter member of the joint Korean/American Phi Delta Kappa education chapter in Seoul, an active member of the Special Needs organization, and escorted orphans from South Korea back to their adoptive parents in the U.S. While in South Korea she traveled with Paul and five youngsters to Japan, Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong, Okinawa and the Philippine Islands.

Dixie’s passion for helping others compelled Dixie to return to college and receive a BS in Elementary Education in 1984 at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches. As a mother of a child with special needs, she was drawn to focus on Special Education. She was selected to be a graduate assistant in the Guidance and Counseling Department, where she taught reading to struggling college students and an introduction to teaching course. A year later, she graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Masters in Education in Special Education and certification as an Educational Diagnostician, and was inducted into the Alpha Chi National Honor Society.

Her energy, drive, and commitment knew no bounds. As a full-time college student, she remained very active in each of her children’s schools, sports, and extracurricular activities, being a frequent volunteer for Brownies, Girl Scouts, PTA fundraisers, and never missing a soccer, baseball, softball, basketball or gymnastics competition. And she was always the loudest cheerleader in the crowd! Because she was such a “super mom”, she was selected as Mother of the Year for Nacogdoches in 1984.

In 1989, she became an Educational Diagnostician in the Killeen Independent School District, working primarily with three elementary schools and the Developmental Center. She tested and placed hundreds of children in the district and collaborated with teachers, psychologists, principals, and parents to create specific development programs for the needs of each child. She was the perfect blend of patience, smarts, caring and assertiveness to make an often challenging and emotional exercise successful.

After retirement in 2000, Dixie focused her efforts on volunteer activities like the Special Olympics, visiting her grandchildren, and traveling the world. She was a coach, fund raiser and volunteer for Killeen-Cove-Hood Special Olympics, where her daughter Kai competed in swimming, track and field, bocce, volleyball and bowling. The athletes loved a hug from Ms. Dixie, who always had a warm smile and an encouraging cheer.

From 1996 to 2007, Dixie was overjoyed to welcome nine grandchildren to the world and was there after every child’s birth to change diapers, snuggle, and read to them. Over the years, she likely read stories many hundreds of times to her ‘gang’. “Read it again, Granny” was a common cry.

Granny also spent many evenings and weekends at volleyball, soccer, softball, cheerleading, track and pole-vaulting competitions, dance and piano recitals, PTA events for Veterans’ Days, Christmas programs, Chilifest fundraisers, field trips, and taking Whataburger to school for lunch with the kids. She was a frequent guest at birthday parties, costume parties, graduation parties, and New Year’s Eve parties. She always made time to listen to tales of the day, share a laugh or joke, or play Barbies, cooking, or dress up. She never ended a communication with her grandchildren without saying “Granny loves you”.

In 2008 Dixie, Paul and Kai moved to New Braunfels, Texas. She became a member of the Comal Garden Club, enjoyed the Southbank “lunch bunch” and exercise/Tai Chi classes until health issues prevented her participation.

Dixie truly loved to travel. She went to Australia, England and Ireland with her daughter, Erin, and to Hawaii, Germany, France and Eastern Europe with Paul. They took many cruises to Alaska, Hawaii and the Eastern and Western Caribbean Islands, several of these with the family. She also really enjoyed her “Dixie’s Chicks” birthdays, annual long weekend trips with her daughters (the chicks) to several major cities. Dixie never wanted to go somewhere she had already visited or seen, always seeking new sights or adventures.

Dixie was preceded in death by her parents, Pooch and Hazel; brother Jerry; and in-laws, Paul D. and Ruby Kellerhals. She is survived by her husband, Paul; daughters, Darbi (Todd) Murray of Hot Springs, Ark.; Kai, New Braunfels; Erin, San Francisco, Calif.; Tara (Cody) Comstock of Corpus Christi; and son Kirk (Madeleine) of Norfolk, Va.; 10 grandchildren; Edie Murray, Hot Springs, Ark.; Austin, Andrew, Lucas Kellerhals and Tyller Holden of Norfolk, Va.; and Emily, Abigail, Owen, Caroline and Margaret Comstock of Corpus Christi.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to a special fund in honor of Dixie benefitting Special Olympics Texas. We hope to honor her thirty years’ work with Special Olympics by supporting the teams close to her heart.

https://www.givegab.com/campaigns/donations-in-loving-memory-of-dixie-lee-kellerhals