Marlys Jean Smith

Marlys J. Smith, 88, of Cedar Falls died Monday, December 30, 2024. at the Martin Suites of Western Home Communities. Marlys Jean Smith was born on August 8, 1936 at Sartori Hospital in Cedar Falls to Leonard and Genevieve Tanner Siler. She was the oldest of four children and the family, along with Leonard's parents, lived in several old farmsteads, first on Highway 218 between Cedar Falls and Waterloo, then on Martin St. and finally on Lafayette Street.

Each home was a fixer upper with no utilities, but with lots of ground to grow large vegetable and flower gardens, fruit trees, raspberries, strawberries and rhubarb. They also raised White Rock chickens for the eggs and meat. Marlys spent a good deal of time with both her Grandma Siler and Grandma Tanner and learned how to cook, can, sew, mend and knit. She continued using those talents into her later life.

A year before World War II they settled in at the house on Lafayette Street. Marlys was ready for school and brother Merrill was a toddler. Marvin arrived the day Marlys started kindergarten. Marilyn Kay (Mary Kay) was born on Father's Day several years later while Marlys was quarantined with the mumps at their Grandma Tanner's. The family joined Linden Methodist Church on Easter Sunday 1946 and continued to be a part of a growing neighborhood.

Although shy in school, Marlys readily admitted she wasn't quiet at home. She started school at Lafayette Elementary School just a few blocks from home, then had to transfer to Hawthorn Elementary two or three miles away to finish seventh grade. She had few recollections of East Waterloo Junior High, but remembered the classes and teachers at East Waterloo Senior High. She recalled exploring the downtown stores with her friends while waiting for one of their dads to finish work. While in high school Marlys worked jobs at the SkyView Drive-In and the Swirly Top. During her senior year she has a co-op job at a job at the First Baptist Church.

Right out of high school, Marlys' mother encouraged her to purchase a life insurance policy from their agent, but she also pointed out to the gentleman that Marlys would need a job to pay for it. He said he thought they had an opening. She applied and that's how she started working at Prudential Insurance Company of America in the National Building.

Life changed on June 30, 1956 when she accepted a blind date set up by a high school friend and the woman's husband. By December Marlys and Edward Smith knew they were "meant to be" and Christmas shopping concluded with a trip to Roth Jewelers to select the wedding ring. They married Mother's Day weekend on May 11, 1957, at Linden Methodist Church. After their Kansas City honeymoon the couple started homekeeping in Hudson where Ed grew up.

The next year Ed got a job at John Deere and Marlys resigned from her job in preparation for being a stay at home mother. They moved to Waterloo and welcomed a son Steven. Their daughter Delores (Dee) arrived three years later. After a few years in Waterloo, they missed the small town life and returned to Hudson. They built what became their forever home, their children went through the Hudson schools and they joined the United Methodist Church of Hudson. During that time Marlys served as a den mother to Steve's Cub Scout troop for a couple years, she and Ed became involved band parents to Steve and Dee. As the children got older, Marlys took on the part-time secretary job at the church and continued in the position for many years.

Their family always enjoyed visiting the local campgrounds and their annual fishing trips to Minnesota with Marlys' family. Upon Ed's retirement at John Deere, they had the time to travel to historical sites. Sometime over the years the geneology bug bit Marlys and she became very involved in learning about not just her family's history but how it fit in with their communities. She and Ed also continued to support the schools by becoming pen pals to Hudson Elementary students for several years.

Her presence will be missed dearly by her son Steven and daughter-in-law Linda Smith of Marshalltown; son-in-law Ronald Dean of Waverly; grandchildren Ashley and Frederico Silva of Doha, Qatar; Lindsey and Jared Callahan of Marshalltown; William Dean and Robert Dean of Waverly; great-grandsons Isaac and Cameron Callahan; brothers and sisters-in-law Merrill and Claudia Siler, Marvin and Jean Siler; sister Marilyn Kay Gaede and many nieces and nephews.

Marlys was preceded in death by her beloved husband Edward on November 2nd and their cherished daughter Delores Dean on January 27th.

Services are 11:00 Saturday, January 11, 2025 at United Methodist Church of Hudson, 301 Washington, Hudson, Iowa. Visitation from 9:30 until services at 11 at the church.

Memorials to the church. Locke on 4th is handling arrangements. Condolences may be left at LockeFuneralServices.com.