Delys Mae Bodenhausen

     Delys Mae Bodenhausen, of Nixa, passed away peacefully on October 17, 2026, with family by her side. Delys was the youngest of five children born to Arthur and Bertha Neuhardt. She grew up on a small farm in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in southeast Ohio. She studied education at The Ohio State University and, after graduation, worked as an elementary school teacher in Columbus, Ohio. It was there that Delys met Max Bodenhausen, a young Air Force officer stationed nearby. They married in January 1960 and began a decades-long nomadic adventure that is typical of many military families. Delys gave birth to her first son, Galen Von, in 1961, while living in Ft. Worth, Texas. The family moved to Louisiana in 1962, where she gave birth to her second son, John. Over the next 20 years, the family moved frequently from base to base, living in Alabama, Virginia, Nebraska, and Ohio, but perhaps her favorite duty station was Stuttgart, Germany, where they spent three years. Being based in Germany afforded the family many opportunities to travel across Europe, visiting beautiful castles, cathedrals, museums, and historical sites. Through these many relocations, Delys’s love and hard work always created a stable and nurturing home for the family. No doubt her most difficult year was while Max was serving in Vietnam during the war (1970-71), as she tried to keep up with the demands of raising two young boys. She managed this challenging, stressful situation with great personal strength.

     In 1983, with both sons in college, she and Max retired to their dream home in Christian County, Missouri. Here, she found another home at Ozark United Methodist Church. She and Max were fixtures at the church for decades. Delys remained as active as ever during those years of “retirement.” Delys and Max were regular volunteers at Convoy of Hope and Least of These for many years and found countless other ways to serve their community. Retired life became even richer when, in 1988, John married Stephanie MacCormack, whom Delys loved like her own daughter. But the greatest joy came several years later with the birth of John and Stephanie’s daughter, Hannah, followed two years later by their son Max (“Little Max,” as he was called then). The time spent with her grandchildren, enjoying their antics and taking pride in their achievements, brought her enormous happiness, and the affection was mutual. Her final years were spent with Max at Castlewood Senior Living in Nixa, where she made many new friends and became an active and much-loved member of the community.

     Delys is survived by her husband of 66 years, Max, her sons Von and John (Stephanie), her grandchildren Hannah and Max, and Stephanie’s sister Kim. She was preceded in death by her parents and her four older siblings. The family would like to acknowledge the numerous people who loved and cared for Delys. We cannot list them all, but must mention special friends Sharon, Dennis, David, and Karen. The family also thanks the amazing staff at Castlewood Senior Living, who have shown her so much love and care over the last seven years, as well as the caring staff at St. Croix Hospice, who made her final days peaceful. In her last hours, as a final act of love, Delys told her family how grateful she was for her life, how proud she was of each of them, and how much she loved them all.

     In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Least of These, 1720 James River Road Ozark, MO 65721, USA; info@leastofthesefoodpantry.org