Marilyn Ward

Marilyn Maxine Ward, 91, of Mason City, passed away on Sunday, December 15, 2024, at the Sheffield Care Center. A funeral Service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, December 18, 2024, at Major Erickson Funeral Home, 111, N Pennsylvania Ave. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service time. Interment will be held in the Oakwood Cemetery, Plymouth. Memorials may be directed to Sheffield Care Center.

Marilyn M. Ward was born June 10, 1933, at the family home in Plymouth, Iowa. She was the youngest of three children of Homer E. And Loretta (Everhardt) Ward.

Marilyn always had fond memories of her childhood years in Plymouth. Happy days were spent playing games with neighborhood friends, reading books which arrived on the Bookmobile, swimming in the Shell Rock River and participating in Girl Scout activities. The people of Plymouth were very special to Marilyn.

Marilyn attended school in Plymouth where she graduated from Plymouth High School in 1951. In 1953 she graduated with honors from a two-year program at Iowa State Teachers College in Cedar Falls. In 1965 she graduated with a BA degree from the University of Northern Iowa and in 1973 she graduated with an MA degree from the University of Minnesota. Education was a prime interest for Marilyn; she took numerous university classes beyond her degree work including Drake University and the University of New Hampshire, attended Elderhostels and lifelong learning classes.

For forty-five years Marilyn taught elementary grades four and five in Dows, Clear Lake, and Mason City, Iowa. Meeting former students was a special joy for “Miss Ward”. One of the interesting activities in which she and her students participated was the Adopt-A-Ship Program. Students carried on correspondence with ship captains in many parts of the world.

Marilyn’s interests included reading, entertaining, New York Times crossword puzzles, quilting, birding, gardening and exercising. Marilyn especially enjoyed traveling and was privileged to travel to over thirty countries. Marilyn and sister, Marjorie, enjoyed vacationing in Grand Marais, Minnesota, Williamsburg, VA, and the New England states. The Mississippi River area of Wisconsin and Minnesota was another favorite sightseeing destination with family and friends.

Marilyn is survived by her nephews Dick (Pat) Murren, David (Julie Braun) Ward, Paul (Deb) Ward; nieces Donna (Marlin) Jensen, Julie (Steve) Nuehring; 11 great nieces and nephews; and 14 great great nieces and nephews and special friend, Laura Weers.

She was preceded in death by her parents, sister, Marjorie Murren, brother and sister-in-law, Walter and Irene Ward, niece, Diane Hagen, nephew, Dale Ward and great nephew, Matthew Ward