Kathleen Sheila McCrary

Kathleen Sheila McCrary, 79, of LeMars, passed away on Monday, November 27th in her home at Landmark Commons in Waterloo.

Kathleen was born on November 28, 1943, in Cherokee, Iowa, the daughter of Kenneth & Goldie (Bloomberg) Murphy. She grew up and attended school in Peterson, Iowa. She furthered her education by attending the Iowa State Teacher's College (later named The University of Northern Iowa) in Cedar Falls, where she studied education. She worked many years in banking, where she retired from.

She was united in marriage to Robert McCrary on August 31, 1963, in her hometown of Peterson, Iowa. The two called a number of Iowa towns "home" during their nearly 60 years of marriage, and the family grew to include three children. For many years, Kathleen worked as a bookkeeper for her husband's business.

In her free time, she enjoyed reading, traveling, especially in their 69' Firebird, bowling, cooking, and was known for her famous potato salad and cookies. She flourished in her volunteer work at the Christian Needs Center and with the Drug Court. She loved her wine club, "patio pals", and the deep friendships she made throughout her life. Kathleen had a keen sense of humor, and always sought to see the best in people and situations. She was also known to be a fastidious cleaner. Among family, all learned that there are two levels of clean, "regular" and "Grandma Kathy Clean". But most important was her faith in Jesus. She made sure that everyone she loved knew she loved them, and that she was not afraid to die, as she knew exactly where she was going. She will be dearly missed by her friends and family, that loved her deeply.

Kathleen is survived by her children Greg (Cathy) McCrary of Pensacola, FL, Mike (Kristi) McCrary of Janesville, IA, and Amy (Randy) Swalve of Waterloo; 13 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren and 3 more on the way; 6 nephews; many lifelong friends. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband Bob; grandson Andrew McCrary; sister Colleen (Baxter) Ankerstjerne and sister-in-law Margaret (Richard) McCombs.

A family directed service will be held at Cedar Valley Church in Waterloo, Saturday December 9 at 2:00 pm, with visitation one hour prior to the service. Locke Funeral Services is caring for Kathleen and her family. Memorials may be directed to the family and messages of condolence may be left at www.lockefuneralservices.com.