Our dear mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, Patsy Lou Herbst, 82, passed on to eternal life in the early morning hours of Oct 26, 2026 while in the warmth and comfort of her own home.

Patsy was born on her mother’s birthdate on Oct 17, 1944, and whether by fate or coincidence, she drew her last breath on the anniversary of her mother’s death—Oct 26, 2010. Patsy was the eldest child of Lewis and Joan (Leik) Burrows. She was later joined by a sister, Bonnie, and a brother, Mike. She married her one true love, Alois J. “Ollie” Herbst, on May 18, 1967, and together they raised their six children—Shari, Christy, Curtis, Jeff, Greg, and Kim. Ollie preceded her in death on Dec 17, 1994.

Patsy counted among her blessings seventeen precious grandchildren: Tara Gaherty, Abby Jansen, Brian Jansen, Hayli Wolf, Kelsey Benton, Robert Benton, Jewls Herbst, Calvin Herbst, Ricki Sharkey, Evan Herbst, Emily Miller, Ashley Herbst, Hannah Thumser, Kaitlin Bonert, Kyle Arling, Tessa Edgington, and Oliver Arling.

Patsy graduated from Dubuque Senior High School in 1962. She worked many years at Randall Foods and was later the primary lab tech at Pearle Vision Center. Both of these long-term employments rendered her special friendships that she valued to her last day. To her dearest friends—Mona, Lucy, Mary, and Diane—she loved you like sisters and knew you would do anything for her if asked.

To paraphrase the words of an anonymous poet, mom met God in a dog; unconditional love wrapped in fur. To tell her story without mentioning her fur babies would be an injustice to both. Her lap was somehow designed to accommodate every one of them, whether it be a 12-lb cocker spaniel (Peppy) or an 85-lb doodle (Winston); they just seemed to fit perfectly.

Mom thought it would be a good idea to volunteer at the humane society, until two shelties (Lady and Hoskie) were brought into the shelter. She saw them shivering with uncertainty in the corner of their pen and adopted them on site. Mom wisely decided to end her volunteerism, acknowledging that she could not adopt all of the dogs, and her heart would not hold the weight of leaving them behind.

Mom would take her dogs for walks through the Mt. Vernon subdivision, always wearing a jacket with deep pockets filled with dog treats. Every dog in the subdivision–of which she knew most by name–was greeted with kind words and a treat. When driving with her through the neighborhood, mom would point to different houses saying, “Harper lives there, Sophie lives there, etc.” referring not to the homeowners but to the dogs who resided therein. Following the grand reunion with loved ones at the gates of heaven, her next stop will undoubtedly be at the Rainbow Bridge.

Patsy is survived by her children: Shari (Dave) Jansen and Kim (Jeremy) Arling of East Dubuque, IL; Christy (Scot Freiburger) Benton, Curtis Herbst, and Jeff Herbst of Dubuque, IA; and Greg (Lois) Herbst of Mineral Point, WI; her aforementioned grandchildren and thirteen great-grandchildren; her brother Mike (Mona) Burrows, brothers-in-law George Weitzel and Boyd Franklin, numerous nieces and nephews, and a treasured lifelong childhood friend, Lucy Britt.

Patsy was preceded in death by her husband Ollie, her parents Lewis and Joan Burrows, her sister Christy “Bonnie” Franklin, numerous brothers-and-sisters-in-law including Donna Weitzel, the first of Ollie’s siblings to whom she was introduced and whose kindness overflowed, and a cherished lifelong childhood friend, Sharry Kapparos.

The family will greet friends and relatives at Miller Funeral Home in East Dubuque, IL, from 9:00 AM–12:00 PM on Monday, Nov 02, 2026, with a funeral service beginning at noon. Burial will follow at Mount Calvary Cemetery in Dubuque, IA.

The family extends its gratitude to the caring professionals (Becky, Stephanie, Morgan, and Mike) from Hospice of Dubuque, IA, and personal caretakers Janice Stemper and Angie McNamer.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the Dubuque Regional Humane Society in Patsy’s name.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.millerfhed.com.