Martha Ruth Warnock

Martha Ruth Warnock, 100, of Marion, Iowa, was welcomed into the arms of Jesus on Friday, August 29, 2025. Per Martha’s wishes, Private Family Burial will be held at Coggon Cemetery in Coggon, Iowa. Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Service of Marion is assisting the family.

Martha was born on October 9, 1924, in Ely, Iowa, the daughter of Anton and Marie (Hutak) Horsky. She graduated from Ely High School and then attended Cedar Rapids Business College. Martha liked to reminisce about growing up on the little farm near Ely. She would talk about walking to school in all kinds of weather and how difficult it was to walk through the neighbor’s pasture with cattle in the field and being afraid of the bull. As a child, the family didn’t have indoor plumbing and only had coal stoves for heat. In winter, the family often woke up to find frost on the inside of the windows and ice in the water bucket. Martha woke up to ice crystals on the ticking of the feather cover. The family had no TV or radio, so they used their kerosene lamps for reading.

On September 10, 1947, Martha was united in marriage to Ronald “Bud” W. Warnock in Ely, Iowa. She worked for Hall-Eckfelt and Cedar Rapids Carton. She went on to raise her family and worked alongside her husband on their farms near Coggon and Walker. Martha used to like embroidery work. She enjoyed crafts and knitting. Martha sewed clothes for kids and patched a lot of clothes for Bud. When plastic canvas came out, she had fun because it was easier on her eyes than embroidering. In later years, she made lots of crosses out of plastic canvas for missionaries in Texas.

Martha loved to travel as long as she didn’t have to drive. She had to learn how to drive when she was 70, before Kathy graduated. She took driver’s training through the high school. Kathy wanted her to learn how to drive before she left home. Martha was also an excellent cook. She made delicious kolaches and cookies. Brooke remembers Gramma for her monster cookies and Brooke being a cookie monster. She had a large garden and fruit trees in Walker and did a lot of canning and freezing. Most of all her family will remember her as a loving and kind-hearted soul.

Martha is survived and lovingly remembered by her children, Linda, Connie, Robert (Denise), and Kathy; four grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and two nieces.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; sister, Viola Wickham; grandson, Jonathan Warnock; and son-in-law, Max Snakenberg.

Memorials in Martha’s memory may be directed to Zion Presbyterian Church, located at 110 3rd Street North, Coggon, Iowa 52218.

The family would like to express their heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to all the staff at Linn Manor Care Center and UnityPoint Hospice for all the love, care, and compassion they gave to Martha during her stay.