Mary Lou Sheeler

Mary Lou Sheeler, 84 of Monroe, died Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019, at Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines. A funeral service will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 26 at the Monroe Presbyterian Church. Burial will take place at Silent City Cemetery in Monroe. The family will greet friends from 10 a.m. until service time Saturday at the church. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 25 at Coburn Funeral Home in Monroe. Memorials may be directed to the Old Settlers Committee or the Monroe Ambulance Unit. Condolences may be left for the family at coburnfuneralhomes.com.

The daughter of Floyd Vestal and Faye Irene (Carpenter) Kent, Mary Lou was born Feb. 26, 1934, in Newton. On Aug. 9, 1952, she was united in marriage to Ivan (Jake) Howard Sheeler in Newton. They made a home in Monroe, where they raised their three daughters. Mary Lou worked in the Monroe/PCM lunchroom for 18 years, retiring in 1998. She was a member of Royal Neighbors, Prime Timer’s in Monroe and attended the First Christian Church as a child. Mary Lou loved her family and was an awesome daughter, sister, wife, mother, aunt and grandmother. She and Jake spent many hours watching grandkids and great-grandkids’ football, basketball, softball, baseball, dance, gymnastics, soccer and music events. She was a seamstress, gardener, crafter, baker, shopper, gamer, puzzler, Bingo-shark, techie and jill-of-all-trades (but not a singer). She loved to laugh until she cried and her smile was infectious.

Those left to honor her memory are her loving husband of 66 years, Ivan “Jake” Sheeler; her daughters, Connie Smith, Debbie (Ron) Calvert and Cheryl (Greg) Rhead; eight grandchildren, Landi (Ayman Qaisi) Smith, Nathan Smith, Megan (Brent) Sanders, Lacey (Matt Pace) Calvert, Kaity (James) Gale, Scott (Sheena) Rhead and Alex (Jill) Rhead; 13 great-grandchildren, Cartyr, Taylor, Keegan, Noora, Joey, Sawyer, Braylen, Axel, Ada, Dalia, Adley, Walker and Charlotte; a brother-in-law, Robert (Noni Kain) Sheeler; a sister-in-law, JoAnn Sheeler; and numerous nieces and nephews. Preceding Mary Lou in death were her parents; sister, Donna Jo (Carrol) Edge; brother, Burton (Jeannette) Kent; infant son, William Howard Sheeler; her in-laws, Howard and Lillian Sheeler; numerous sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law; nephew, Jim Kent; and a special friend, Ruby Schrader.