Brenda Boers Grote

Brenda K. Boers Grote

September 1, 1967 - August 26, 2026

Brenda K. Boers Grote of Phoenix, Arizona, passed away on August 26, 2026, with her sister and cousins by her side, after a short battle with cancer.

A visitation will be held at the Dahn and Woodhouse Funeral Home in Carroll, IA from 1 – 5 P.M. on Sunday, September 27, 2026.

A funeral mass will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 24, 2026 at Saint Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Phoenix, Arizona.

Brenda was born on September 1, 1967, to Michael Boers and Shirley Snyder at St. Anthony’s Hospital in Carroll, Iowa. She grew up in Carroll, attending Carroll Community Schools and graduating from Carroll High School in 1985. She continued her education at Iowa Lakes Community College in Estherville, Iowa, and Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa.

Brenda lived and worked in the Des Moines area before making Phoenix her home, where she built a successful career, a close circle of friends, and a community that meant a great deal to her. In June 2000, she joined Fennemore, beginning a 17-year career with the law firm. As an experienced paralegal in the firm’s ERISA/Employee Benefits practice group, Brenda brought her expertise to a wide range of complex matters and was deeply committed to the attorneys and clients she supported. She later worked for the employee benefits department at Stantec. Throughout her career, Brenda was valued not only for her knowledge and dedication, but also for the quick wit and lively sense of humor she brought to those around her. She developed many lasting friendships with colleagues over the years.

That sense of humor was just one part of Brenda’s personality. She was thoughtful, creative, independent, and someone who showed people she cared in ways both big and small. She loved crocheting, scrapbooking and was especially talented at creating beautiful handmade greeting cards for birthdays, holidays, and other occasions. At Christmas, family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers looked forward to another Brenda tradition: gift boxes filled with her delicious homemade spritz and gingerbread cookies.

Brenda also had an adventurous side and loved to travel. She made wonderful memories with her travel group and experienced destinations many people only dream of visiting, including Italy, Ireland, Greece, Egypt, Portugal and more. Closer to home, some of her favorite getaways were trips to wine country, where weekends were spent enjoying fine food, good wine, plenty of laughter, and the company of friends. Brenda treasured her friendships, many of which spanned years and different chapters of her life.

She also had a special place in her heart for cats. Brenda helped foster cats in her community and opened her own home to several cats over the years, with three beloved cats (Tucker, Leandro, and Sissy) still sharing her home at the time of her passing.

Brenda cared deeply about her community and the people around her. She was a longtime parishioner of Saint Francis Xavier Catholic Church and was devoted to the neighborhood she called home. For many years, she served as president of her neighborhood association, generously giving her time and energy to her community.

And Brenda loved a good sporting competition. A proud Iowa State Cyclones fan, she enjoyed cheering on the Cyclones and was equally enthusiastic about her hometown Phoenix Suns. She held Suns season tickets for many years and enjoyed being part of the excitement of game days.

Brenda is survived by her mother, Shirley (Snyder) Hansen of Urbandale, Iowa; her sister, Kari Aulerich of Mesa, Arizona; her niece, Madi Aulerich; her nephews, Alex (Rachel McKaveney) Aulerich, Zach Aulerich; as well as many extended family members and dear friends.

She was preceded in death by her father, Michael Boers; her stepfather, Virgil Hansen; her grandparents, Jack and Opal Boers and Norbert and Dolores Snyder.