Marilyn Howard

Marilyn Howard, 93 of Iowa Falls passed away peacefully on Sunday, October 19. She was surrounded with love by her four children and spouses. Her death was of natural causes.
Surls Funeral Home of Iowa Falls, IA will be managing arrangements (www.surls.com). Visitation will be held on Thursday, October 23rd from 4:00 to 7:00 pm at the First United Methodist Church in Iowa Falls. Religious services will be held at 1:30 pm on Friday, October 24th at Iowa Falls First United Methodist Church, with internment immediately following services at Union Cemetery in Iowa Falls. A reception hosted by the family at Highland Golf Club immediately following the burial. The service will be live-streamed on the Iowa Falls First United Methodist Church's YouTube page.
The Howard family requests that in lieu of flowers donations be made to the Iowa Falls First United Methodist Church or to the Ellsworth College Foundation in Iowa Falls, IA. The information for those are the following:
Iowa Falls First United Methodist Church, 619 Main Street, Iowa Falls, IA 50126.
Ellsworth College Foundation, 1100 College Avenue, Iowa Falls, IA 50126.
Marilyn was born July 16, 1932, in Lewis, IA to her parents Russell and Beulah Marshall. She had two brothers and one sister.
After graduating from Lewis High School in 1950, Marilyn attended Drake University in Des Moines, IA, pursuing a degree in education that would later lead to her becoming an elementary school teacher. She married her high school sweetheart, Dale Howard, on June 19, 1953, in Lewis, IA. They began having a family in 1954, having son Steve, twin daughters Diane and Donna, and son Scott.
While becoming a successful teacher in many communities throughout Iowa, Marilyn was a devoted wife and mother, providing incredible support to her family as they moved around Iowa for several years until the Howard family settled in Iowa Falls in 1975.
Known for her sweet and kind personality, Marilyn also had a profound sense of humor. She was an avid reader, loved to listen to gospel music, and enjoyed following sports, with a strong interest in the Iowa Hawkeyes and other teams in the state of Iowa.
Her biggest joy in life was her family. She had a very close relationship with her four children, her grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, who she enjoyed communicating with regularly.
Marilyn was a woman of deep faith. She was a proud member of the Iowa Falls Methodist Church for 50 years and served the church for many years until she was unable to due to health challenges that began in 2010.
After her husband Dale passed away in 2015, Marilyn continued her and Dale's commitment to philanthropy. She gave willingly to many charities and causes, with the Iowa Falls First United Methodist Church, Hansen Family Hospital (Iowa Falls), Ellsworth College (Iowa Falls), The University of Iowa, The University of Northern Iowa, and Coaches vs. Cancer among the causes she proudly supported.
Marilyn was preceded in death by her husband of 62 years, Dale; her parents; her brothers Lee and Dick Marshall; her sister Carolyn Ratashak; son-in-law Wayne Embree; and grandson Marcus Beer.
She is survived by her four children: Steve Howard (Glenda), Diane Gulick (Richard), Donna Embree and Scott Howard (Kathy); four grandchildren: Traci Wagner (Jason), Eric Beer (Carissa), Tony Howard (Julianne), and Todd Holland (Melanie); and Jenna Leonhart, former wife of late grandson Marcus. She had thirteen great-grandchildren: Nicholas and Sydney Wagner of Iowa City; Brecken, Kemper, Benson, and Zander Beer of Waukee, IA; Prentice and Pierce Howard of Iowa Falls; Kenley, Cohen and Ivy Beer of Beaufort, SC; and Grayson and Connor Holland of Urbandale, IA; and numerous extended family members she loved dearly.
The family would like to thank the community of Iowa Falls for their wonderful care of Marilyn the last fifteen years, with special recognition given to her four caretakers, Suzie DeVries, Gidget Hinz, Rhonda Wood and Brenda Thompson, all of whom we value as family.