Hester, Mary Louise

Mary Louise Hester, 96, of Iowa City, formerly of North English, died Saturday, Jan. 4, 2014. A funeral mass will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 8, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in North English. Interment will be in North English Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at Powell Funeral Home in North English.

Memorials may be made to the Bill and Mary Hester Scholarship for English Valleys Citizens Scholarship Foundation (EVCSF).

Mary Louise Barron was born July 4, 1917, in Fort Madison, Iowa. Mary was the daughter of James and Sarah (Stark) Barron. Mary graduated from Fort Madison High School in 1935. She then graduated at the top of her class from St. Joseph Nursing School in Ottumwa, Iowa, in 1938. After graduation, Mary worked as a nurse at Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids. While living and working in Cedar Rapids, she met William Hester. Bill and Mary were married on April 9, 1942, just before Bill was shipped out for wartime naval duty. After the war in 1947, Mary and Bill moved to North English, Iowa, where they lived until 2006. In 2006, they moved to Iowa City to live with their daughter, Rosemary.

Mary worked as a nurse at Sigourney Hospital for several years and then for Dr. Larry Miller in North English, until her retirement at the age of 71. Mary dedicated her life to health care, helping others and raising her family.

Mary and Bill raised six children, Terry (Sharon) of Davenport, Tom (deceased), John (Linda) of Lone Tree, Jim (Candy) of Des Moines, Francis (deceased) and Rosemary Adam of Iowa City; and a special daughter, Sandy Hester of North English. They were blessed with 12 grandchildren and 26 great-grandchildren.

Mary was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Bill of 65 years; brother, Joe; sisters, Marguerite and Agnes; sons, Francis and Tom; and granddaughter, Tracy.

Published in The Gazette Jan. 6, 2014.