Mary Louise Walderbach
July 29, 1933 — September 24, 2016
Mary Louise Carter Walderbach, 83, of Phoenix, Arizona, formerly of Ryan, Iowa, passed away Saturday, September 24, 2016. Visitation: 5 – 7 p.m. Friday, October 14, 2016, at Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Central City. Celebration of Life: 10:30 a.m. Saturday, October 15, 2016, at the funeral home. Inurnment: Calvary Cemetery, Ryan.
Mary Louise Walderbach was born July 29, 1933, to Virginia and John Carter in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Mary grew up around The Princess Café which was owned and operated by her parents. She learned skills that would prove to be useful later in life.
Mary married James D. Walderbach on December 5, 1952. Mary stayed at home with her parents until Jim returned home from the Marine Corps and they began their life together in Cedar Rapids later moving to Ryan, Iowa, where she began to raise their eight children, one of which died in infancy. She got through this devastation in her life by focusing on her other four children she had at the time as keeping up with all of them was a full-time job. Later as she had three more children and they all began growing up and some moving away from home as teenagers she opened up Mary’s Place in Ryan putting to use her earlier learned skills from her childhood in the restaurant business.
After the young death of her husband, James, at age of 49, she struggled deciding what to do with her life. She spent summers at a cabin on Lake Delhi and worked on getting her nursing degree in Cedar Rapids. After all but her youngest son had moved out she decided to go south to Texas and Arizona, eventually settling in Phoenix, Arizona. Her youngest son, Dennis, accompanied her on that adventure and decided he too liked the mountains and the many other beautiful things Arizona has to offer and also settled in the area.
Being a Red Cross Volunteer in her younger years showed helping others was Mary’s passion as a nurse so she devoted herself to helping those in hospitals and others suffering from substance abuse working in various places in Phoenix until her retirement in 2001. Mary especially loved her children and grandchildren. She always shared memories of her past experiences telling each of her children how much she loved them and missed them after their phone conversations. Mary loved flowers, especially roses. She always loved being surrounded by her large collection of snow globes and teapot sets. She loved all types of music, especially Christmas music, and wouldn’t leave anything untouched while decorating for the holidays.
Mary is survived by six children, Daniel (Shelley) of Central City, Iowa, David (Donna) of Marion, Iowa, Denise (Steve) Larson of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Douglas of Phoenix, Arizona, Dennis of Phoenix, Arizona and Debra (Fred) Pasker, of Marion, Iowa; and three brothers, Angelo (LaVonne) Carter; John Carter; and Don (Marilyn) Carter, all of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Mary also has 20 grandchildren and 41 great-grandchildren.
Mary is preceded in death by her parents; infant son, Dale Jeffrey; her husband, James, in 1980; son, Donald, in 2016; sister, Patty Baker in 2012; and sister-in-law, Darlene Carter.
Mary Louise Walderbach was born July 29, 1933, to Virginia and John Carter in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Mary grew up around The Princess Café which was owned and operated by her parents. She learned skills that would prove to be useful later in life.
Mary married James D. Walderbach on December 5, 1952. Mary stayed at home with her parents until Jim returned home from the Marine Corps and they began their life together in Cedar Rapids later moving to Ryan, Iowa, where she began to raise their eight children, one of which died in infancy. She got through this devastation in her life by focusing on her other four children she had at the time as keeping up with all of them was a full-time job. Later as she had three more children and they all began growing up and some moving away from home as teenagers she opened up Mary’s Place in Ryan putting to use her earlier learned skills from her childhood in the restaurant business.
After the young death of her husband, James, at age of 49, she struggled deciding what to do with her life. She spent summers at a cabin on Lake Delhi and worked on getting her nursing degree in Cedar Rapids. After all but her youngest son had moved out she decided to go south to Texas and Arizona, eventually settling in Phoenix, Arizona. Her youngest son, Dennis, accompanied her on that adventure and decided he too liked the mountains and the many other beautiful things Arizona has to offer and also settled in the area.
Being a Red Cross Volunteer in her younger years showed helping others was Mary’s passion as a nurse so she devoted herself to helping those in hospitals and others suffering from substance abuse working in various places in Phoenix until her retirement in 2001. Mary especially loved her children and grandchildren. She always shared memories of her past experiences telling each of her children how much she loved them and missed them after their phone conversations. Mary loved flowers, especially roses. She always loved being surrounded by her large collection of snow globes and teapot sets. She loved all types of music, especially Christmas music, and wouldn’t leave anything untouched while decorating for the holidays.
Mary is survived by six children, Daniel (Shelley) of Central City, Iowa, David (Donna) of Marion, Iowa, Denise (Steve) Larson of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Douglas of Phoenix, Arizona, Dennis of Phoenix, Arizona and Debra (Fred) Pasker, of Marion, Iowa; and three brothers, Angelo (LaVonne) Carter; John Carter; and Don (Marilyn) Carter, all of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Mary also has 20 grandchildren and 41 great-grandchildren.
Mary is preceded in death by her parents; infant son, Dale Jeffrey; her husband, James, in 1980; son, Donald, in 2016; sister, Patty Baker in 2012; and sister-in-law, Darlene Carter.
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