Mary Flenker

Mary K. Flenker, McCausland, Iowa, passed away peacefully on Sunday, September 11, 2022, at Genesis East, surrounded by her family.

Funeral services will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 18th at Faith Lutheran Church, Eldridge.  Visitation will be from 1:00 p.m. until the time of service at the church.  Burial will be at McCausland Cemetery.  Memorials may be directed to Faith Lutheran Church or to the McCausland Volunteer Fire Department.  Chambers Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.

She was born on September 24, 1931 in Davenport, Iowa to Oscar and Gladys (Cook) Twigg.  She graduated from DeWitt High School in 1949 and worked for Iowa Mutual Insurance and AAA before marrying her high-school sweetheart, William Flenker on June 23, 1953 in Davenport, Iowa.  They celebrated 61 years of marriage before William passed away on November 22, 2014.

Mary took great joy and pride in being a mother, homemaker and farmwife. She was an active full-time partner with her husband throughout their marriage, whether it was in raising their three children or planting and harvesting crops and caring for the livestock on their family farm.  She valued family and knew the importance that spending time together as a whole family each day had, especially at mealtime, and found a way to make it happen, no matter how much extra work it made for her.  During the spring and fall she would take home-cooked dinners out to the field during planting and harvesting; during the summer when baling made for long days she would make sure there was always a homemade luncheon with frozen Kool Aid slush; and during the school year she would reschedule the evening meal around sport practices and other extracurricular activities that her kids might have so that the family could always sit down to a homemade hot meal together and discuss their day no matter what time it ended up being.

She was a quiet, generous, kind and loving person who found the good in everyone and everything.  Even till her final breath, her family was her top priority, and she never waivered in her love and concern of their well being nor in her support for them and their endeavors.  She was the number one fan of each and every one of her children, grandchildren and great-grand children – something that all of us took for granted but now already miss.

During her children’s younger years she was active as a room mother, Cub Scout den mother, and North Scott music and athletic booster.

Mary was not one to sit idle, and in the evenings, while her eyesight still allowed, could be found working on scrapbooks, photo albums, genealogy, cross-stitching, sewing, or reading about tips and hints on cooking, baking, and home improvement.  She was a talented seamstress and excellent baker and cook; she loved to iron and never wanted to see any of her family leave the house with a garment that hadn’t been ironed – even when we insisted that it was permanent press and didn’t need to be ironed.

Mary was a woman of great faith, strength and integrity and was a member of Faith Lutheran Church in Eldridge for over 60 years.  She understood that each day was a gift and lived life to the fullest everyday - always approaching it with a smile on her face.  She was most content when she could be at home spending time with her family, and felt so grateful to be able to live at home on the farm until she was called to be with the Lord.

She is survived and lovingly remembered by her children:  Kim Flenker of DeWitt, Iowa,  Kevin (Corinne) Flenker and Meg Flenker all of McCausland;  her grandchildren Nick (Melissa) Flenker, Kelly (Darin) Wernke, Nathan (Angie) Flenker, Kourtney Johnson, Kalvin Flenker, and Grant (Haley) Flenker; her great-grandchildren Brooklynn, Bryce, and Brock Flenker and Charlotte, Adeline, Pearl, and Roland Flenker, and Winston Johnson.  She will be greatly missed by her faithful and loving cairn terrier, Alex, who was her “best little pal” and who thought the world of her (and she of him).

Preceding Mary in death were her parents, sisters and brothers-in-law Ruthie and Robert Blanche, Nancy and Kenny Drechsler, and her brother and sister-in-law Ray and Shirley Twigg, and grandson-in-law Lucas Johnson.  May they all rest in peace.

The family would like to thank Dr. Matthew Neil and his nursing staff at Eldridge Genesis for their wonderful and thoughtful care of Mary through the years, the McCausland Volunteer Fire Department for their dedication, responsiveness and assistance, and Pastor Heather Geest of Faith Lutheran Church for her visits, guidance and support to both Mary and the family, especially during the last four months.