Michelle Lynn Cali

MICHELLE CALI MUSCATINE, Iowa - Michelle Lynn Cali, 54, of Muscatine, passed away on Wednesday, March 27, 2019, at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinic's, after a courageous battle against cancer. A funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, April 2, 2019, at the Ralph J. Wittich-Riley-Freers Funeral Home. Reverend Tom Berryman of the Island United Methodist Church will officiate. Casket bearers will be Nathan Meisgeier, Kyle Guldenpfennig, Justin Saddler, Billy Luttrull, David Dean, and Craig Steffen. Burial will take place in Letts Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 3 until 7 p.m. on Monday, April 1, 2019, at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to the Muskie Early Learning Center. Please denote in the memo line of checks: for the Michelle Cali Memorial Fund. Funds will be used for the Cali Sensory Room, supplying the room with the materials and equipment needed. Michelle was born on June 3, 1964, in Galesburg, Illinois, the daughter of William Fredrick and Joyce Pauline McWilliams Guldenpfennig. She was a graduate of Louisa-Muscatine High School, class of 1982, Muscatine Community College, with her Associate's degree, class of 1984...[more]

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nd the University of Northern Iowa in 1987 with her degree in Early Childhood Special Education. She was united in marriage with Frank David Cali on August 30, 1986, at the Letts United Methodist Church. She taught early childhood special education for 32 years. It was her passion and calling. She will be remembered for her fun energy in the classroom and positive impact she had on the many children she had the pleasure of teaching. She was a life-time Girl Scout and had achieved her Gold Award. She was very active with the Island United Methodist Church where she served as past education director, vacation bible school coordinator, she also held several different positions on the church board and led music during services. She loved pigs and had an extensive collection of pig figurines, statues, stuffed animals, etc. She was an amazing and loving wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister and friend. She will be missed by many. Those left to honor her memory include her husband, F. David Cali of Muscatine; her daughters, Melissa Marie Cali Meisgeier and husband, Nate, of Maplewood, Minnesota, and Rebecca Antonia Cali of Muscatine; one granddaughter, Kathryn Michelle; her mother, Joyce Guldenpfennig of Letts; two brothers, Mitchell Guldenpfennig and wife, Janet, and Matthew Guldenpfennig and wife, Sara, all of Letts; nieces and nephews, Kyle Guldenpfennig and wife, Kendra, Megan Guldenpfennig, Caitlyn Guldenpfennig, Justin Saddler, and Brennan Saddler; one sister-in-law, Pamela Saddler and husband, Larry, of Houston, Texas; and her mother-in-law, Mary Nell Cali of Hammond, Louisiana. Michelle was preceded in death by her father, Bill Guldenpfennig, on March 19, 2005; her father-in-law, Frank Cali on June 2, 2018; and a niece, Carson Elizabeth Saddler in infancy.