Marjorie May Emerson

Marjorie May Emerson, 96, passed away Tuesday morning, Feb. 21, 2017, at Skiff Medical Center in Newton. A funeral service for Marjorie will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 25 at the Pence-Reese Funeral Home in Newton. A visitation with the family will be one hour prior to the service at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, memorials in Marjorie’s name are being designated to the Newton Village Good Samaritan Fund. Burial will be in the East Peru cemetery at 2 p.m. Saturday.

Marjorie Emerson, the daughter of Fred and Agnes Elizabeth (Picken) Holmes, was born May 19, 1920, in Madison County, Scott TWP, near Winterset. She attended rural school through the eighth grade, graduating from the Winterset High School, class of 1937.
On July 13, 1941, Marjorie was united in marriage with Lyman Rex Emerson in Princeton, Mo. They farmed for 14 years, prior to Rex being employed by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. They lived in Washington for 20 years, moving to Newton in 1984. Marjorie devoted her life to her family and enjoyed being a homemaker, and was a member of the First United Methodist Church and the O.E.S. #180.

Marjorie was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Rex; her son-in-law, Ronald Ross; and her brothers, Lt. Eugene F. Holmes, Herbert W. Holmes and Michael Holmes; and her sisters, Helen Drake and Lucille Gray.

Those left to honor Marjorie’s memory include her daughters, Linda Jean Ross-Guinn (Michael) of Newton and Constance Irene Shebeck (Gary) of Grinnell; her four grandchildren, James (Tricia) Ross of Coralville, Sherry Ross of Laurel, Miss., Neal (Kelly) Shebeck of Henderson, Nev., and Erin (Pete) Cavanagh of Wellman; two step-grandchildren, Suzanne Guinn (Michael Lange) and Michele Guinn (Richard Olson); her seven great-grandchildren; and her many friends.

Online condolences may be made at www.pencefh.com.