Ross, Mary Ann

Mary Ann Ross

76

The Lord beckoned. Mary answered.

Mary Ann Ross passed away peacefully at her home on Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011, under the care of Iowa River Hospice. Memorial services will be at Fellowship Baptist Church in Tama, on Monday, Jan. 2, at 11 a.m., with Pastor John Janke officiating. Visitation will be Sunday from 4 to 6 p.m. at Kruse-Phillips Funeral Home in Tama.

Mary was born Feb. 5, 1935, to Paul and Elsie (Bowman) Ebersole, in their home six miles north of Toledo, along with her twin brother William. Dr Charles Maplethorpe Sr. stayed with the family until the deliveries were over and the twins were doing well.

The family later moved northeast of Toledo, where Mary attended all her grade school years at Pleasant Hill No. 1. She then attended Toledo High School, graduating with the class of 1953. She then attended Evangelical Hospital School of Nursing and graduated in 1956 with a degree in registered nursing.

She worked at both the old Mercy Hospital and MMSC. After retiring from there she worked part-time at Bethesda Nursing Home, and did some private home care.

On Jan. 19, 1957, she and Gerald Ross exchanged wedding vows at the Little Brown Church in Nashua. Except for a short time in Marshalltown they have lived in the same house in Toledo Heights for 54 years.

Mary loved to sing. She was in the Girls Glee Club in high school, sang with the choir at Otterbein Church for many years and also performed with the only Farm Bureau Chorus left in Iowa.

Mary was also quite a homemaker. Every fall the storage shelves and freezer would be stocked with produce from the garden and orchard.

Mary was a member of Fellowship Baptist Church, which she loved dearly and was quite saddened when she was unable to attend any of the services or get-togethers. Mary was active with the children's ministries, women's service groups, and holiday musical programs. She also served as a greeter at church and always attended the services that were held throughout the week.

Mary is survived by her husband, Gerald; four children, Douglas (Sarah) Ross of Tama, Dennis (Stephanie) Ross of Buckingham, Diane (Joseph) Yilek of Tama and Darrell Ross (Heidi Fishpaw) of Shenendoah, Iowa; grandchildren, Jessica Ross (Ryan Stubbs), Natalie Ross, Meredith Ross (David Leaton), Jodi Yilek (Christopher Sanders), Josh and Megan Yilek, Jordan Ross, Zachary Ross and Josh Fishpaw; and great-grandchildren, Emma Jo Sanders and Riley Stubbs.

She is also survived by her sisters-in-law, Harriet Sharp, Deanna Dickens McCarroll, Loretta Kvapil and Avonelle Ebersole.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Paul and Elsie Ebersole; her sister and brother-in-law, Venetta and Ben Records; and her twin brother, William Ebersole.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Iowa River Hospice.

Published Dec. 31, 2011, in The Gazette