Marilyn Ruth Williams, age 81, of Lytton, Iowa, passed away at Shady Oaks Care Center in Lake City, Iowa, July 22, 2008.

Funeral services will be on Friday, July 25, at 10:30 a.m. at the Presbyterian Church in Lytton, Iowa. Burial will be at Oaklawn Cemetery in Auburn, Iowa. Farber and Otteman Funeral Home in Sac City is in charge of arrangements.

Visitation will be from 6:00 –8:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 24, at the Farber and Otteman Funeral Home in Sac City.

Marilyn was born in Harcourt, Iowa, on January 17, 1927 to Clyde and Ruth (Ostberg) Gustafson. As a young girl she lived with her parents in Lanyon, Iowa where she attended grade school. She graduated high school from Harcourt Consolidated and went on to college at Iowa State Teachers College in Cedar Falls, Iowa. She received her 2 year teaching degree and Kindergarten Primary Certificate. She was also very involved with 4-H, serving as a state officer.

Marilyn was united in marriage to Robert Williams on July 23, 1949, in Harcourt, Iowa. They maintained a lifelong love and to this union, two sons were born.

Marilyn and Bob made a home in Lytton, Iowa and attended the Presbyterian Church where she was an elder and member of the Presbyterian Women. She also had a fruitful teaching career that touched the lives of many children over 36 years. She taught school in Lytton for 5 years, Auburn 3 years, and Sac City for 28 years before retiring in 1989. She also continued her own education by receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree from Buena Vista College in Storm Lake, Iowa. She was an active member of the American Legion Auxiliary and served as Lytton Chamber of Commerce secretary in her retirement. While serving her community, she also worked to make a loving home for her husband and two sons; Greg and Doug.

Things she truly enjoyed were knitting, crafts, and entertaining teacher colleagues. She was an excellent cook, and loved to follow her grandchildren in all of their activities. Marilyn touched the lives of so many as a wife, mother, grandmother, sibling, colleague, and friend, and will deeply missed by all those dear to her.

Left to mourn her passing is her husband of 59 years, Robert: two sons; Greg (Tammy) of Lytton, and Doug (Cathy) of Sac City; grandchildren: Sara (Chuck) Nattress, Lytton, Jamie Williams, Minneapolis, MN, Shelly (Brandon) Johnson, Ankeny, IA, Brad Williams, Lytton, and Linsey Williams, Sac City; great-grandchildren: Brock and Charlie Nattress; brother: Robert Gustafson, Harcourt, IA; sister: Louise VanderLinden, Ankeny, IA; sister-in-law: Eileen Williams, Memphis, TN;

Marilyn was preceeded in death by her parents, an infant brother Rollin Gustafson; brothers-in-law Robert VanderLinden, Richard Williams; and sister-in-law Sara Gustafson.