Barbara Wollam

Barbara Joan (Zahn) Wollam, age 86, passed away peacefully on the evening of Mother's Day, May 11, 2025, at the Iowa River Hospice House in Marshalltown, Iowa. Her children and grandchildren were at her side as Sweet Adeline four-part harmony music played – music that was part of her lifelong story.

A Memorial Service for Barb will take place at 1:00 p.m., Monday, July 28, 2025, at First Presbyterian Church in Marshalltown. A luncheon will immediately follow the service at the church. Burial will follow lunch at Riverside Cemetery in Marshalltown. This is scheduled near the date of her sister Bonnie's service on July 26 in Minneapolis. This timing will allow extended family to gather and honor both sisters during one trip. Visitation was held Tuesday, May 27, at Anderson Funeral Homes from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Barbara was born on July 15, 1938, in Jacksonville, Illinois, to Elmer and Helen (Strickler) Zahn. The family moved shortly thereafter - first to Oelwein, then to Fort Madison, Iowa, where she was raised and graduated from Fort Madison High School in 1956. She went on to earn a bachelor's degree in Education from the University of Iowa, graduating in 1960. She married her high school sweetheart, Larry Wollam in 1959. He also attended the University of Iowa where he studied engineering before joining the U.S. Army. Together, they began their life on a Military Base in Fukuoka, Japan, where their first son Jeff would be born.

After returning to the States, the family settled in Cedar Rapids where their daughter Connie was born. In 1965, an unexpected opportunity led them to Marshalltown, where they purchased the North 3rd Avenue Dairy Queen. It was a big leap of faith for a young couple with two young children in tow, but together they built a family business that became part of the fabric of the community. Their youngest son, Tyler, was born in 1979 and completed the family. Tyler would eventually carry on the family tradition by taking over the Dairy Queen in 2004.

Barb was an active mother and a true partner in running the family business. She spent years at home raising Jeff, Connie, and Tyler, where she would help manage the books and calculate the payroll but would also work alongside Larry at the store when she had time. She was tough, stubborn, strong-willed, brave, and full of grit! She was never afraid to speak her mind! Teenagers working their first jobs at the DQ sometimes found her intimidating at first. She expected hard work and led by example. She was fun to be around and had a laugh that everyone found contagious!

Barb also spent many years as a selfless caretaker – first to her husband while he battled cancer, and later to her sister Connie. Her steady support was always given with grace, loyalty, and compassion. She never gave a second thought to the sacrifices she made for the people she loved.

Barbara had a lifelong love of music. As girls, she and her sisters, Connie and Bonnie, taught themselves to sing in three-part harmony while doing the dishes after meals. They became so good that their parents would sometimes bring friends home after an evening out and wake the girls to perform for them! It became a signature part of their family life and was always enjoyed by everyone at family gatherings. Later in life, Barbara brought that same love of music and harmony to the Heart of Iowa Sweet Adeline chorus in Marshalltown, where she and her sister Connie both sang bass for nearly five decades!

She also loved to golf, garden, read and cook. Her potato salad became a staple at family gatherings and will be fondly remembered alongside many of her signature dishes. Her home was the kind where neighbors like Darlene and Bill Van Kirk became lifelong friends and kids grew up surrounded by support and shared joy.

She was a long-time member of the First Presbyterian Church and kept close ties with her community through music, family and friendships that spanned decades.

Barb loved being a mother but being a grandmother - and later a great-grandmother - brought her a whole new kind of joy! She was an active and present part of her grandchildren's lives, cheering them on at events, celebrating their milestones, and always making time to show up. Whether it was a quick visit, a shared meal, or a full weekend together, she made each moment feel special. When her great-granddaughters came along, she embraced that role just as fully, with warmth, humor, and deep affection.

She is survived by her three children:

• Jeff (Deb) Wollam of Marshalltown, and their children Aly (Brian) Price and their daughters Briella and Lucy Price, all of Boone, IA, and Ben Wollam of West Des Moines;

• Connie Hodges (Grant Brintnall) and her children Haley Hodges of Iowa City and Hunter Hodges of Marshalltown;

• Tyler Wollam of Marshalltown.

She is also survived by her brother, Ed (Carroll) Zahn of Fairhope, AL; her sisters-in-law, Jo Murphy of Oakbrook, IL, and Jan Wollam (Sandy Zilz) of Morrison, IL; Bonnie's wife, Jane Morgan of Excelsior, MN; as well as many nieces and nephews who brought her joy throughout her life.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Larry Wollam (1999); her parents, Elmer and Helen Zahn; her sisters, Connie Zahn Cuthbert Montover (2020) and Bonnie Zahn Marsh (May 2025); and her brother- and sister-in-law, Ron and Judy Wollam.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly asks for donations to be made to the Heart of Iowa Sweet Adeline Chorus, a non-profit that brought Barbara so much joy for nearly fifty years, or to the Iowa River Hospice House of Marshalltown, in gratitude for the compassionate care and support they provided during her final days.

She will be deeply missed and forever remembered by all who knew her.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Anderson Funeral Homes of Marshalltown. Online condolences may be sent to www.andersonfhs.com.