Mardella Kathryn Durst

 Mardella Kathryn Durst (Mardy), born May 20, 1927 in Palmer, Iowa to Reamer and Nelly (Reiter) Aden.  She passed away at NewAldaya in Cedar Falls, Iowa, Wednesday, June 19, 2019 at the age of 92.  She was baptized June 18, 1927 and confirmed in her Christian faith on March 29, 1942, both at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Palmer, Iowa.  Mardy graduated from Havelock High School, May 19, 1944 and furthered her education in Omaha, Nebraska at Radio and Teletype School.  After completing the course, Mardy and a High School friend worked as waitresses at Carter Café in Des Moines, Iowa for about a year.

     Mardella married Meryl L. Smith March 15, 1946 at St. Peters Lutheran Church in Pocahontas, Iowa.  They raised a family of four daughters, Sandra Stone, Joyce Bailey, Donna Drake, and Connie Seaman.  Meryl and Mardella were divorced in 1971.

     On June 13, 1971 she married Paul Durst at a Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and resided in Spencer, Iowa.  Paul had two daughters and two sons.

     Mardy was a cook at South Clay High School in Gillett Grove, Iowa, and at St. Luke Lutheran Home in Spencer, Iowa.  She was the bookkeeper at National Spencer, Spencer, Iowa.  She also worked on a contract basis to take surveys for businesses.

     Mardy enjoyed painting ceramics, embroidery, quilting, sewing, playing cards, gardening, camping and boating, time with family and friends, family vacations, the Clay County Fair, and going to Texas for the winter.

     Mardella was preceded in death by her husband, Paul, two brothers, Louie Aden and Leroy (Ruth) Aden, and a sister IvaLee (Roger) Coleman, two sons-in-law, Darrell Stone and Greg Seaman, and stepson, James Durst and step great granddaughter.

     Left to cherish her memory are her four daughters Sandra Stone, Cedar Falls, Iowa, Joyce (Floyd Mefferd) Bailey, Laurens, Iowa, Donna (Joe) Drake, Des Moines, Iowa, Connie Seaman, Dickens, Iowa; 13 grandchildren, 25 great grandchildren, five great-great grandchildren, three stepchildren Judy (John) Haulman, Pahrump, Nevada, Jeannie (David) Fitz, Ames, Iowa and Jerry Durst, Washta, Iowa; step daughter-in-law Connie Durst, Milford, Iowa, six step grandchildren, and eight step great grandchildren.

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