Mari Ellen Rees McGehee
Mari Ellen Rees McGehee
Mari Ellen Rees, middle child of Ralph and Ellen Charlotte “Lottie” (Barnett) Rees, was born January 30, 1935, at the couple’s rural farm home a few miles south of the Mount Ayr Country Club. She was welcomed by 2 ½ year old brother, William Ralph, sister Jo Ann was born March 21, 1937, and completed the inner family circle.
Mari was educated in one room schoolhouses. She won the Ringgold County Spelling Contest as an 8th grader and topped all the rural school students on the comprehensive test rural students had to take to be able to enter high school, scoring a quarter point below 95. In high school, Mari enjoyed journalism and band. She quit band her senior year to take PE every day and loved volleyball. She finished her school day working in the principal’s office for Vance Geiger. Her good study habits continued in high school where she graduated Valedictorian of the MACS Class of 1953 of 47 students.
Mari worked 3 years at a local insurance office after high school graduation and 1 year at a Des Moines Insurance Office. In 1957, Mari started working for Grant L. Hayes, County Attorney, in Mount Ayr for 12 years. Grant called her the most logical person he had ever known in his lifetime. She went to work for Arlen F. Hughes, Attorney, and worked for Arlen for 25 years. Mari then went to work for Richard L. Wilson and Clint Spurrier and worked for them for 10 years. She finished her working career working for Doug Daggett for 14 years.
Mari was united in marriage to Max “Ike” McGehee on May 4, 1958, at the First Christian Church in Mount Ayr, Iowa. Later when she transferred her membership from the Methodist Church to the Christian Church, the rule of the day was baptism by immersion. She was baptized when she was 7 months pregnant with her daughter. She loved the church and church work and served 20 years as an active Elder and the remainder of her life as Elder Emeritus.
Mari loved babies and children and was blessed with a daughter, Mitzi Jo, July 22, 1960, and a son, Michael James, 5 years and 2 days later, July 24, 1965.
She loved walking, reading, cookbooks, cooking, traveling, and lifelong learning. She and Ike traveled many miles following children and grandchildren’s activities.
Mari served 4 years on the MACHS School Board; was a 45-year member of Chapter CK PEO; long time member of the Ringgold County Legion Auxiliary; and bowled for a number of years at Lucky Lanes. She and a partner won the Class C Doubles one year.
Mari passed away January 25, 2025. She was preceded in death by her husband Ike in January 2010; her parents Ralph and Lottie Rees; her brother Bill; her sister Jo; brother-in-law Bob Loudon; her in-laws Kenneth “Ike” and Loueva McGehee; brother-in-law Ted McGehee; and numerous other relatives.
Mari is survived by her daughter Mitzi of Mount Ayr; her son Mike of Creston; grandchildren Michael Hymbaugh, Michelle Hines, Matthew Hymbaugh (Nathan Schneider), Jacob (Maggie) McGehee, Ashley (Tyler) Coenen and Brooke McGehee; great grandchildren Lexi and Allison Hines, Connor and Ellie McGehee, and August, Drexel and Arthur Coenen; sister-in-law Virginia Rees of Clinton, IA; 1 niece; 4 nephews and other relatives and friends.
Open visitation will be held at Armstrong Funeral Home in Mount Ayr on Monday, February 3 from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. with the family present Tuesday morning from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the First Christian Church. Services will begin at 11 a.m. at the church with burial to follow in Rose Hill Cemetery. Memorials are to the First Christian Church.
