1928-2026
Mona Jean (McLuen) Sellman was born on Dec. 11, 1928, to John and Bessie (Dupuy) McLuen in Dale City, Guthrie County Iowa. She passed away on Feb. 17, 2026, at the New Homestead in Guthrie Center.
Mona grew up in the Dale City area until they moved to Guthrie Center once her dad became the first manager of the Guthrie REC. She attended Guthrie Center schools and graduated in 1946. Family enjoyed hearing stories of her years in school and playing girls 6-on-6 basketball. Her senior year, they played at the State Tournament at the Drake Field House and ended up fourth in the tournament. The story was also told that she had a suitor who came to all of her games that had fallen in love with her.
She married that suitor, Ronald Sellman, on April 4, 1947, in the Kansas City area. To this union, three children were born. Mona and Ronnie lived in a few other places in the state but ended up most of their lives in Guthrie County, Iowa. Mona and Ronnie enjoyed planting big gardens so they could freeze food for the winter months.
Mona worked many jobs as a farm hand, babysitter and in 1972 she started working as a home health aide. She started with New Opportunities, then Department of Human Services and finally Guthrie County Public Health. When she “retired” in 2004 from Guthrie County, she continued to work for Fiedler Home health in Scranton for three more years. She loved working with her “old folks” and helping them stay in their home as long as possible. There were many times some of her “old folks” were younger than she was, but she loved them and was so caring.
She spent several years traveling with the Guthrie County State Bank Heritage Club with her traveling buddy, Neva Langgaard. They traveled the United States and shared so many laughs and good times. She enjoyed watching sporting events on TV and in person. She attended many Iowa Hawkeye Football games in Iowa City with friends and family, especially in the years when tickets were inexpensive. She attended her last one in her late 1980s with her three children at the coldest game in Hawkeye current history. Every year, both Mona and her family took the trek to the Iowa State Fair along with family and friends to enjoy all the fair had to offer along with her famous tailgate lunches.
Mona was a member of the First Christian Church of Guthrie Center and was the financial secretary for the board and helped with many Harvest suppers. She was also a 50-year Eastern Star member of chapters in Guthrie Center and Linden.
She celebrates her life with her children, Nick (Marilyn) Sellman of Stuart, Pam Rumelhart of Guthrie Center, and Jo (Ken) Rasmussen of Guthrie Center; grandchildren, Niel (Veronica) Sellman, Kristine Rogers, Tim (Jen) Rogers, Catherine Rogers, Joseph Rasmussen, Amanda Rasmussen and partner Brandon Schade, Chelsie Rumelhart, and Ben Sellman and partner Rachel Long; great grandchildren, Ashton (Gary) Blohm, Kaylee Sellman, Kierra Rogers, Kaden Rogers, Kinnick Rogers, Jaylynn Sellman, Coralynn Sellman, Theo Schade and Sam Schade; great-great grandchild, Eli Blake Blohm; and a host of nieces and nephews.
Preceding her in death were her parents, parents in law, her one and only Ronald, brothers and sisters-in-law Don and Darlene McLuen and Wayne and Mildred McLuen, and two great grandchildren, Devon and Eli Sellman.
Mona would tell us to not cry for her as she lived a very long life. We should celebrate her life with smiles and memories. At the end of the day, she would offer to pack up some of that food for us, tell us to go and take care of our families and remember her love for us.
Funeral services will be Friday, Feb. 20, 2026, at 2 p.m. at The First Christian Church in Guthrie Center with a visitation one hour prior to services. Interment will be at Morrisburg Cemetery in Stuart.