Mary Lou Marquardt

Mary Lou (Spencer) Marquardt passed away on April 1, 2022 at Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines. Mary Lou was the second daughter of Ira and Mary (Misner) Spencer. She was born August 26, 1929 at Lutheran Maternity Hospital in Des Moines. Mary Lou's first home was in rural Cumming, where she attended the Madison County Lee Township one-room school. In the fifth grade, her parents bought the 160-acre home place farm of her father, Ira Spencer. Today, the Spencer farm is a century farm and remains in the family. The Lee Township school closed when Mary Lou was in the eighth grade. She then attended Van Meter School until she graduated in 1947. She was the first Van Meter High School Queen in the spring of 1946. Mary Lou married her high school sweetheart, Lester Marquardt, on August 14, 1948. In the spring of 1949, they bought and moved onto a 285-acre farm six miles south of Booneville in Lee Township, Madison County. An additional 140 acres was purchased and put into production at a later time. Lester and Mary Lou farmed together and lived on this farm for the rest of their lives. They enjoyed raising parent flocks of chickens for Hy-Line for several years, plus tended their own flock for an egg route in Des Moines. They raised hogs and feeder calves from their cow-calf herd. Mary Lou always said, "God put us on the Earth to care for the land and animals as long as we lived." Mary Lou and Lester welcomed their only daughter, Rita, on January 6, 1958. They enjoyed being active and attending all of Rita's school activities like basketball and music, as well as Rita's 4-H activities. Mary Lou was a 4-H member and a long-time 4-H leader of Rita's 4-H club. Mary Lou was proud of Rita's career as a nurse, her long-time profession, following in the footsteps of Mary Lou's sister, Lillian (Spencer) Ulloa. One of Mary Lou's greatest joys was being a grandmother to her granddaughters, Jennie (Huntrods) Hargrove and Amanda (Huntrods) Harker, and their activities at Van Meter High School. Mary Lou was overjoyed to become a great grandmother to a great granddaughter, Reba Hargrove, on May 18, 2016. A great grandson, Benjamin Harker, followed on September 6, 2020. She was eagerly anticipating the birth of a third great grandchild, expected June 2022. Mary Lou enjoyed spending time with her family, particularly over a family meal or going out to eat at restaurants. She and Lester enjoyed going to dances with her dear friends and listening to bluegrass and country music. Mary Lou was blessed by her Booneville United Methodist Church family, where she was a life-long member and participated in activities & mission work for the Booneville United Methodist Women. She was active in the Lee Township and Madison County Farm Bureau Women, making many friends, attending bus tours, and going to monthly meetings. One of the highlights of her final years was enjoying three 90th Birthday parties with her dear family and friends. Mary Lou was preceded in death by her grandparents, Henry and Lillian (Underhill) Spencer and Howard and Nancy (Huston) Misner; parents, Ira and Mary (Misner) Spencer; sister and brother-in-law, Lillian Ilene (Spencer) and José Ulloa; mother and father-in-law, Carl and Doris (Stump) Marquardt; her husband, Lester Marquardt; and sisters-in-law, Eleanor Marquardt and Verla Marquardt. Mary Lou is survived by daughter, Rita (Don) Huntrods; granddaughters Jennie (David) Hargrove and Amanda (Devin) Harker; great grandchildren Reba Hargrove and Benjamin Harker; brothers-in-law, Gordon and Otis Marquardt; and several nieces and nephews. Visitation will be held from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., Monday, April 4, 2022 at Caldwell Parrish Funeral Home, Winterset Chapel with family present from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Funeral service will take place at 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, April 5 at Caldwell Parrish Funeral Home in Winterset. Burial will follow in the Booneville Cemetery. Memorials may be directed to the Booneville United Methodist Church. Online condolences may be left at www.caldwellparrish.com. Mary Lou embraced positivity, loving and living life to the fullest. Mary Lou said many times, "I love everybody, and it was a great life."