Underwood, Essie

Essie Underwood, 88, of 621 Wildwood Dr., Ottumwa, died Oct. 4, 2011, at her home. According to her wishes, her body has been cremated. Family and friends will gather in Iowa City for a celebration of her life on Nov. 19. Inurnment will be at Oaklawn Cemetery in Iowa City.

Essie was born Nov. 14, 1922, in Iowa City, Iowa, to John Simon and Pearl Mabel (Poggenpohl) Bollinger. She was a graduate of Iowa City High School. She married Webster Harry Raker on April 12, 1945, in Cedar Rapids. They later divorced. She married George M. Underwood on July 9, 1963. He preceded her in death June 16, 2002.

She had been a member of B.P.O. Eagles Aerie 114 Auxiliary. Essie enjoyed her years living and fishing on the Des Moines River. She made many friends there and at the Ottumwa Eagles Club. She was an avid bingo player and played as often as possible. In her later years, she looked forward to her bus trips to Tama with her friends, Joann Gatlin and son James.

Surviving are a son, Harry Webster (Arlene) Raker of Cedar Rapids; two daughters, Karen Jane (Robert) Unash of Bemidji, Minn., and Mary Essie (Mark) Davidsaver of Davenport; nine grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; stepdaughters, Mary McLeran and Paula Snow; stepgrandchildren; three sisters, April Tompkins of Iowa City, Betty (George) Swanson of Oxford and Shirley Pellessier of The Dalles, Ore.; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by a son, Michael Lee Raker; two stepdaughters, Joan Krietz and Joyce Rouse; a stepgranddaughter, Mary Ellen Fuller; and two brothers, John and Alexander Bollinger.

Memorials may be made to The Salvation Army because they enabled her to buy medicine for her son in a time of need or to the Red Cross because they provided assistance to her during the 1993 flood.

Reece Funeral Home in Ottumwa is in charge of arrangements.

Published Oct. 8, 2011, in The Gazette