MaryAnn DeVries

MaryAnn DeVries, 77, passed away unexpectedly, albeit very peacefully, in her sleep Monday, August 25, 2025, with her dear dog Easter Lily curled up at her side.

Visitation will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, September 6, 2025, at the Salem United Church of Christ in Alleman, Iowa. A Memorial Service will follow at 11 a.m. with a luncheon afterwards.

MaryAnn was born on February 2, 1948, in Lancaster, Nebraska, to Everett and Marjorie (Schaaf) DeVries. From her father, a builder, she learned to be resourceful and detail-oriented. From her mother, a central figure in the University of Nebraska Lincoln administration, she learned to support others with care and dignity. And from her rural upbringing, she developed her life-long love of animals.

Throughout her life, MaryAnn was a consummate caretaker to family, friends - human and furry alike - and the earth.

She met her husband, Tom Schlife, in Nebraska while both were working in environmental health roles, monitoring and negating issues at the county level. They took leave of their Midwestern roots to live for a time in New York City, where MaryAnn served as executive secretary to the CEO of General Instruments Co. In 1980, she and Tom married and moved back to Iowa.

MaryAnn studied at Iowa State, then built a varied career that mirrored many of her personal passions - among them, working with animals at a vet clinic, keeping the head of an international electronics company organized, and promoting energy saving measures with Iowa's municipal utilities. Her favorite role was in the department of Biomedical Sciences at Iowa State University, working with renowned researcher Anumantha Kanthasamy, PhD. There she not only supported the staff of international grad students as they honed their English skills, but additionally helped them find housing, get driver's licenses, and generally learn to acclimate to their new country.

With her father's help, she and Tom designed and built their own environmentally-efficient home with very little outside help, living in the basement for several years as they completed the upper level. Though not a student of architecture, MaryAnn was the visionary behind the design of her home. She and Tom loved their acreage, and she often could be found baling hay, driving the tractor, tending bees, and picking asparagus. She was a Master Gardener, as evidenced in the layout of her yard and gardens. As a signature gardening project, she designed some of the grounds around the Animal Rescue League building. In addition, she lent her expertise to a gardening outreach program for inmates of the Iowa Correctional Institution for Women.

As much as she loved their acreage and home near Polk City, MaryAnn definitely preferred the winters in Mexico to those in Iowa. For 30 years, she and Tom lived in Melaque in Jalisco, Mexico during the winter months where they made lifelong friends, many of them neighbors or members of the Costalegre Community Church. In addition, she adopted more than one street dog from their community, bringing them home to plentiful food, non-stop romps in the pastures, and lots of lap time. Their travels also took them as far north as their tiny home in Lake of the Wood, Minnesota, and across the Pacific to Japan, where her aunt Gretchen DeVries served as director of the Asian Rural Institute.

Family-by birth or by love-was everything to MaryAnn. She dedicated herself to providing round-the-clock care for her mother until her passing. MaryAnn maintained a close bond with her brother, David, speaking with him daily, and cherished the tradition of decorating the graves of her extended family in Nebraska on Memorial Day. She found immense joy in raising two strong young men, Alex and Edgar Ramirez, nurturing their growth and guiding them through life's challenges. Additionally, MaryAnn played a vital role in the lives of her dear friend Veronica Hernandez and her three daughters, whom she lovingly referred to as "my three angels." Her life was a testament to the love and strength of family connections.

Blessed (or cursed) as a supertaster, MaryAnn could easily identify a well-prepared dish, as well as those that missed the mark. She herself never faltered, preparing amazing meals and luscious desserts that delighted anyone fortunate enough to be at her table. She especially loved pie and the signature guacamole made by her dear friend Veronica.

She was an active member of PEO, was learning to play bridge, and was known to deliver exceptional eulogies - often ending her messages with a song in her lovely singing voice. She co-founded Our Own Little Reading Group in 1990, a book club whose name was inspired by her grandmother's turn-of-the-century discussion group. Many of the original members still meet monthly and were among her best friends.

MaryAnn's sense of direction was legendary, celebrated in the compasses she stenciled in the foyers of her homes in Iowa and Mexico. And she was timely, thanks in part to her vast collection of vintage clocks and watches.

She was known to speak kindly, but directly. She was not afraid to share her opinion, always as an invitation to a good discussion rather as a provocation. Her poised demeanor belied a quick wit and sharp sense of humor. She gave gifts and complements liberally, always seeming to know when someone needed a boost or a laugh. She loved going to bookstores, plant stores, bakeries, and the occasional Ben Franklin. Impeccably attired, she also was a thrift store junkie, able to spot the "hidden gems" in the racks. Her beautiful smile lifted the spirits of everyone she met.

She leaves behind her husband of 46 years, Tom Schlife; sons, Edgar and Alex Ramirez; grandson, Aidan; brother and sister-in-law, David and Eleanor DeVries; niece Anna DeVries and her daughter Paloma; nephew Jonathan DeVries, his wife Nacia and their son Noah; niece Deb Dier Biggs and her family; nephew David Dier and his family; and goddaughters Sheyla, Dania, and Tina Hernandez and their mother Veronica Hernandez.

She was preceded in death by her parents and half-brother, Jim Dier.

To honor MaryAnn's legacy, please consider donating to the Animal Rescue League of Iowa or Pro Animal Melaque in her name. You are also encouraged to remember her by reading a good book, lending a hand to someone who needs it, or giving a rescue dog a forever home.