Marilyn Hunter

Visitation for Marilyn Hunter was held Aug. 28 at the Hastings Funeral Home in Perry, with funeral services Aug. 29 at Union Cemetery in Coon Rapids.

Marilyn Elaine Hunter, 76, of St. Charles, passed away on Aug. 24 as a result of a 17-month battle with colon cancer.

Marilyn was born on April 1, 1944, in Jefferson to Carroll and Vera (Albright) Stone. After spending several years working at Allied Insurance, Marilyn returned to Bayard and married Gary Hunter on May 8, 1964. Marilyn and Gary spent 49 years living on their farmstead outside Bayard.

During their time living in Bayard, Marilyn enjoyed gardening, maintaining a beautiful yard and helping Gary on the farm, where she supervised many bean-walking and riding crews.

She enjoyed attending her children’s, and later grandchildren’s, sporting and school activities. After moving to St. Charles in 2013, she loved making her new house a home, which included many purchases from QVC.

She was very well-known for her excellent apple pies, graciously passing the skill onto her grandchildren. Not only was Marilyn a very hard-working, loving and generous person to all those close to her, she was also an extremely dedicated mother and grandmother, leaving behind the lesson that there is nothing more important than family.

During their 56 years of marriage, Gary and Marilyn took several memorable trips through membership of the John Deere Spader Group, which included Corpus Christi; Niagara Falls; Montana; Albuquerque, N.M.; Acapulco; France; Italy; and Monte Carlo. They also spent winters in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Marilyn is survived by her husband, Gary; children Nickie Hunter, of Winterset; and Nancy Hunter Schreier and her husband Rick Schreier, of Story City; grandchildren Mikaela Hunter, Cael and Courtney Schreier, and Marshall Engnell.

Marilyn is also survived by four brothers and four sisters. 

Marilyn was preceded in death by her parents, Carroll and Alice Vera (Albright) Stone; and her father-in-law and mother-in-law, George and Mildred (Calder) Hunter.

Marilyn was a generous and loving wife, mother and grandmother. Most important to Marilyn was her family and private time spent with those close to her.

Memorials will be distributed by the family at a later date and may be sent to Hastings Funeral Home, 1417 2nd St., P.O. Box 204, Perry, IA 50220.