Marjette Gloreen Hovden Fitzgerald

Marjette Gloreen

Hovden Fitzgerald

Cedar Rapids

Marjette Gloreen Hovden Fitzgerald, 94, passed away peacefully on August 22, 2025.

She was born on November 25, 1930, in Ridgeway, Iowa, to Glen Olaves Hovden and Mabel Dvorak Hovden. She grew up in Ridgeway and graduated from Ridgeway High School before attending the University of Iowa, where she earned her nursing degree and began a lifelong commitment to caring for others.

On December 27, 1952, she married John Lucien Fitzgerald. Together they made their home in Ottumwa before settling in Centerville, Iowa. Following John’s passing, Marjette returned to Cresco to care for her mother, where she lived for 30 years. She later moved to Cedar Rapids, where she spent her final years close to family.

Marjette was a devoted nurse and a woman of quiet strength. She found joy in playing the organ and

often filled her home with music. She valued education, faith, and perseverance, qualities she carried with her throughout her life.

She is survived by her brother, Dale Hovden; her son, Doug (Mary Jo) Fitzgerald; and her daughter, DeAnn Fitzgerald. She is also remembered by grandchildren Jeanette (Ryan), Liz, and Ken (Erica), along with great-grandchildren William, Benjamin, Tate, Layla, and Bailey, and by Michele Burnes.

Marjette will be remembered for her independence, resilience, and steady presence in the lives of those who knew her. And true to her simple joys, she never passed up a dish of ice cream.