Mary E. Jencks, 82, of Marion, Iowa, passed away peacefully Sunday, January 26, 2020, at the Ed & Joan Hemphill Hospice Unit at St. Luke’s Hospital, Cedar Rapids. A Parish Vigil Service will be held at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, January 28, 2020, at Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Marion. Following the Vigil Service, the family will greet friends until 7 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, January 29, 2020, at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Marion, Iowa, with Reverend David O’Connor officiating. Burial will take place at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, at St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery, Prairieburg, Iowa.
Mary was born April 4, 1937, in Anamosa, Iowa, one of ten children to Clarence and Katherine (Henry) McNamara. She graduated from Marion High School. On June 29, 1957, she married Gerald Jencks in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. To this union, four children were born. The couple later divorced.
Mary worked at the former Collins Radio, Tegeler’s Dairy and Mercy Hospital as a C.N.A. She then worked with Discovery Living Inc. for 18 years, until her retirement on May 31, 2016. Mary was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church and the Marion Women’s Legion Auxiliary. Mary’s greatest joy was spending time with her family, going bicycling, roller skating, paddle boating, sledding at Thomas Park and of course fishing with her grandchildren. She enjoyed exercising at Bender pool with her friends and occasionally going to the casino. Mary was a very loving, affectionate woman, who was never afraid to show her family how to have fun. She will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved her.
Mary is survived and lovingly remembered by her children, Darrell (Kim) Jencks, Debra Cady, David (Lori) Jencks of Cedar Rapids, Iowa and Deanna Jencks of Waukegan, Illinois; grandchildren, Jessica Jencks, Sarah (Alexander) Watson, Kandlyn (Mike) Weis, Brandon (Lianna) Pickup, Aaron Jencks and Shelby Jencks; seven great grandchildren, Ava, Madilyn and William Watson, Justice Pickup, Kyler Zimmerman, and Charles and James Pickup; two sisters, Anna Mae Petrick of Manchester, Iowa and Genevieve Welsh of Central City, Iowa.
She was preceded in death by her parents; four brothers, Edward, Robert, Regis and Joseph McNamara; and three sisters, Rita Haas, Kathleen Mangold and Josephine Stallman.
Memorials may be directed to the family.