Mahr, Ila Ruth (1927-2011)
MAHR, PARKER, FRANCE, MAXWELL, SPAHR
Posted By: Paul Nagy (email)
Date: 1/8/2012 at 14:38:17
Dr. Ila Ruth Mahr
February 24, 1927 - December 27, 2011Alta, Iowa
Dr. Ila Ruth Mahr, age 84, of Alta, Iowa, died December 27, 2011, at the Buena Vista Regional Medical Center in Storm Lake.
Ila Ruth Mahr, the daughter of Harry and Ruth (Parker) Mahr, was born in Giltner, Nebraska, on February 24, 1927. She received her early childhood education in Hamilton and Dawson counties in Nebraska. When Ila was a teenager, she moved with her family to Aurora, Illinois, where she graduated from East High School in 1944. Ila continued her higher education at Bryan College in Dayton, Tennessee, where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in English.
Following her college graduation, Ila worked as a secretary for five years at Bryan College. She then moved to DeKalb County, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta, where she taught school for five years. Ila, then, attended Emery University in Atlanta, earning a Master’s Degree in Reading. She returned to the classroom for five more years and then pursued a doctoral degree in Psychology. Upon completing that program, she worked as a school psychologist in DeKalb County. In 1988, she retired to Snellville, Georgia, after completing her career in education. During her retirement years, Ila availed herself of the opportunity to do various types of volunteer work at schools, in the church, and for the Wycliffe Bible Translators. In 2001, she moved to Alta to continue her retirement closer to her family.
A devoted member of the Summit Evangelical Free Church in Alta, Ila participated in Women’s Bible Studies, small group Bible Studies, and prayer teams. Moreover, she actively supported the youth of the church. She was an avid reader and also enjoyed hiking, observing birds and wildflowers, and doing needlework. A world traveler, she made two trips to England, two trips to the People’s Republic of China as well as trips to Scotland and Brazil. All of those who knew Ila were influenced by her humble, deep, and abiding faith and by her desire to grow daily in her walk with the Lord. She had a special place in her heart for those that served as missionaries, and she prayed fervently for many who served in the missions.
Those who will always remember and cherish Ila’s life include her brother, Steve (Gloria) Mahr, of Homer Glen, Illinois; her sister, Arlene (Gary) France, of Oxford, Nebraska; twenty-nine nieces and nephews along with many great nieces and nephews; great, great nieces and nephews; and other extended family and many beloved friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her brothers: Donald Allen, Clair Pershing, Weldon Emerson, Jerry Alden, and Aaron Roger; two sisters: Hazel May “Katie” Maxwell and Rosalee Spahr.
Ila attributed her longevity to the grace the Lord had extended to her. She strove continually to have His name lifted high.
Visitation: 4:00-8:00 p.m., December 30, 2011, at the Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake, Iowa.
Funeral Service: 10:00 a.m., December 31, 2011, at the Summit Evangelical Free Church in Alta, Iowa.
Interment: 10:00 a.m., January 02, 2012, at the Lexington Cemetery in Lexington, Nebraska.
Copyright © 2011, Fratzke and Jensen Funeral Home
Fratzke and Jensen Funeral Home
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