Mary Ellen Edwards

Mary Ellen Edwards

Mary Ellen Edwards

Iowa City

Mary Ellen Edwards, 88, of Iowa City, died at the Solon Nursing Care Center in the early afternoon of March 3, 2023.

Funeral services will be held at Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service in Iowa City on Thursday, March 9, at 2 p.m., with visitation to be held prior to the service from 1 to 2 p.m. Burial will be at Oakland Cemetery in Iowa City. Join her family for a reception following the burial at The Kirkwood Room. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be made to Iowa City Hospice.

Mary Ellen was born on July 29, 1934, at Mercy Hospital in Iowa City to Francis and Doris (Berfield) Grace of Tiffin, Iowa. She graduated from City High in Iowa City in 1953. Mary Ellen then attended the Mercy Hospital School of Nursing in Iowa City, graduating in 1956. From 1956 to 1972, she worked as a surgical nurse at Mercy Hospital in Iowa City. Mary Ellen then worked from 1972 until her retirement in 1998 as a nurse in the periodontics department at the University of Iowa College of Dentistry.

On Sept. 24, 1956, Mary Ellen married Robert “Bob” Edwards at St. Mary’s in Iowa City. She and Bob had three sons: Jeffrey, Steven and Mark.

Mary Ellen enjoyed camping and taking vacations with her family. She had spent many years as an active member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Iowa City, where she was on the Parish Counsel and belonged to The Altar and Rosary Society. She enjoyed lunch dates with her friends from the Red Hat Society, meeting at Panera’s in the mornings for coffee and playing cards at Cosgrove.

Mary Ellen is survived by her sons, Jeff (Rita) of lowa City, Steven (Kathy) of O’Fallon, Mo., and Mark (Kathy) of Morrisville, N.C.; step-granddaughters, Katie (Jared) Steffen and children, Owen, Liam and Amelia of lowa City; and Kara Rector and children, Maggie and Max of Iowa City; brother, Bob Grace; nieces, Sue Hartzler and Liz Litwiller; nephew, Willie Chalmers; and cousin, Mary Henderson.

Mary Ellen was preceded in death by her husband, Bob; parents, Francis and Doris (Berfield) Grace; brother, Bill Grace; sister, Julia Chalmers; and nephew, John Grace.

The Edwards family would like to thank all the staff at The Solon Nursing Care Center for their kind and compassionate care of their mother over her final years.

Online condolences may be shared with her family at www.lensingfuneral.com.

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