Mary J VanderEcken

Funeral services for Mary J. VanderEcken, 93, of Melcher-Dallas will be held Friday, September 11, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. at the Pierschbacher Funeral Home in Melcher-Dallas. Family will receive friends prior to the service beginning at 10:00 a.m. Interment will be at the Dallas Cemetery. In lieu of flowers memorials are requested to the Melcher-Dallas Public Library to be used for acquiring materials for the deaf and visually impaired. Mary's family respectfully requests that anyone attending the visitation or service wear a mask and follow social distancing guidelines. The service will be available for viewing at the following: . Mary Jospehine Exline was born April 23, 1927 at home in Des Moines, Iowa to William and Viola Exline. She grew up in Des Moines and started working at the bakery in Des Moines at the age of 15 to help support her family. She was blessed with three children: Jim Wallace, Bill Wallace, and Delberta Glattfelder, tragically they all passed away before Mary. She was married to James Jr. VanderEcken and they enjoyed married life in Melcher-Dallas for over 40 years. Over the years Mary worked at a factory in Des Moines and also for Maytag in Newton. She and Jr. ran the East Side Grocery in Melcher-Dallas for many years. She and Jr. enjoyed traveling and camping together and going south for the winters. Mary was truly one of a kind, always having a smile and positive outlook despite the many challenges in her life, she never let anything break her spirit. Mary loved and accepted everyone for who they were, always sharing words of encouragement and supportive in any way possible. She loved to host the VanderEcken reunions and loved spending time with family. She loved to bake, cook, and garden. She loved canning the fruits of her labors and sharing them with family and friends, she even canned apple pie. She loved being an American and proudly worked the flag into almost every craft she made, and she was extremely proud of all her family who served in the military. Mary passed away September 5, 2020 at the MercyOne Medical Center in Des Moines. She is survived by her sister, Theda DeVos; seven grandchildren: Tina, Diane, Brandon, Debbie, Mike, David, and Danielle; many great grandchildren including the oldest, Joseph; her aunt, Emma Best; and many many nieces, nephews, and everyone who knew and loved her. Preceding her in death were her parents: Bill and Viola Exline; her husband, Jr. VanderEcken; her children: Jim Wallace, Bill Wallace, and Delberta Glattfelder; and siblings: Wayne Exline, Kenny Exline, Hub Wallace, Butch Wallace, and Helen Vestal. Cemetery Details Dallas Cemetery Melcher-Dallas, IA 50062

Visitation

SEP 11. 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM (CST)

Pierschbacher Funeral Homes - Melcher-Dallas

803 Garfield Street

Melcher-Dallas, IA 50163

[email protected]

https://www.pierschbacherfuneralhome.com

Service

SEP 11. 11:00 AM (CST)

Pierschbacher Funeral Homes - Melcher-Dallas

803 Garfield Street

Melcher-Dallas, IA 50163

[email protected]

https://www.pierschbacherfuneralhome.com