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Submitted: 11/7/14 • Approved: 11/16/14 • Last Updated: 4/20/18 • R759418-G759417-S3
Sep. 4, 1917 Feb. 26, 2010
Mary Ruth Marler, 92, of Mount Ayr, passed away on February 26, 2010 at the Ringgold County Hospital in Mount Ayr.
Mary Ruth was born September 4, 1917 at Havelock, NE to Walter Monroe and Georgia Golda (Pickering) Barnes. She went to kindergarten in Nebraska and then the family moved to the Albany, Missouri area. She graduated from Albany high school.
The family moved north of Worth, Missouri where she met Burl Edmond Long. He said to her, "What are you doing New Year's Day?"; so they were married January 1, 1938 and moved to the Long family farm. A son, Edward Thayer, was born March 12, 1939 and a daughter, Carolyn Joyce, was born August 25, 1940.
Mary Ruth helped with the milking and fieldwork and prepared delicious meals on a wood-burning cook stove. Over the years her hobbies have been reading, crocheting, sewing, knitting, bowling and golfing. She joined the Order of Eastern Star in 1948 and was still a member at her death. Burl died in a farm accident on April 6, 1964.
On June 26, 1972, she married Jerry Marler and they made their home in Mount Ayr, Iowa. Mary Ruth and Jerry loved to watch baseball games and didn't miss a game. She retired after 27 years as office manager and accountant for General Motors. They did some traveling and enjoyed going out to dinner. She was a member of the United Methodist Church in Mount Ayr.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Burl Long; parents, Walter and Georgia Barnes, and two brothers, John Edgar and Raymond Barnes.
Survivors include her husband, Jerry Marler of Mount Ayr, Iowa; her children, Edward (Peggy) Long of Independence, Missouri and Carolyn (Melbourne) Fletchall of Worth, Missouri; grandchildren, Tina Willis, Todd Long, Tara Mikesell, Michelle (Fletchall) May, Trisa French and Holly Fletchall; 13 great-grandchildren; one sister, Elizabeth Leteux of Springfield, Missouri; two sisters-in-law, June Barnes of Sedalia, Missouri and Ellen Barnes of Belton, Missouri; one uncle, Emery Pickering of Worth, Missouri, and numerous nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.
A memorial fund has been established to the Mount Ayr Public Library.
Services were conducted at Watson-Armstrong Funeral Home in Mount Ayr on Tuesday, March 2, 2010, with Rev. Skip Rushing officiating. Musicians were Nancy Sackett and John Allen.
Casket bearers were Todd Long, Greg May, Mark Mikesell, Don Stevens, Terry Barnes and Carol Pickering.
Mary Ruth was laid at rest in the Grant City Cemetery, Grant City, Missouri.
Contributed on 11/7/14 by robertll
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Record #: 759418