Regur, Mary K. 1944-2013

REGUR, HUYSER, VANDER WERFF, LIGHT, SHARP, COBBS

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 5/11/2013 at 12:19:53

Mary K. Regur (1944 - 2013)
Newton

Mary K. Regur, 68, died on Tuesday, April 30, 2013, at Skiff Medical Center in Newton. The family will greet friends from 3 to 5 p.m., Sunday, May 5, 2013, at the Wallace Family Funeral Home in Newton. A private family interment will be held at the Iowa Veteran's Cemetery in Van Meter, IA. In lieu of flowers memorials to the Skiff Cancer Clinic may be left at the funeral home.

Mary, the daughter of John and Grace (Huyser) Vander Werff, was born on June 29, 1944 in Killduff. She grew up in the Killduff area and graduated from Lynnville-Sully High School in 1962. She then moved to Des Moines and graduated from the Methodist School of Nursing in 1965 and worked at Methodist Medical Center until 1966. Mary then returned to Newton and worked at Skiff Medical Center from 1966 to 1970 and then at Maytag as a nurse and later the Security Manager for the Maytag Corporation from 1970 to 2005. She received her BSN from St. Francis College in 1986. On February 16, 1990, she was united in marriage with James Regur in Newton. In 2005, Mary began working for Medgate, retiring in February of 2013.

Mary also had a decorated military career. In 1979, she was commissioned as an officer in the Iowa Army National Guard. In 1983, she was promoted to Chief Nurse, a position she held until her retirement in 1999. In 1994, she also graduated from Command and General Staff College in Ft. Leavenworth, KS. Upon her retirement she was promoted to Brigadier General, the first female to receive that title in the Iowa Army National Guard. Mary was extremely proud of her military service and received numerous awards and medals including the Legion of Merit.

Mary was a member of AMSUS and NAGUS. She was also appointed by the Governor to the Iowa Commission of Veteran's Affairs which among other things helped to select the location for the Iowa Veteran's Cemetery. Mary also enjoyed traveling, reading, going to the Des Moines Civic Center, and spending time with family and friends. She was an avid NASCAR fan.

Those left to honor Mary's memory are her husband, James Regur of Newton; children, Roni (River) Light of Vancouver, BC, Kristi Sharp of Johnston, Bill (Suzy) Cobbs of Newton, SFC Cameron (Linda) Regur of Clarksville, TN, and Brandon (Stephanie) Regur of Rock Island, IL; her 13 grandchildren and one on the way; two great-grandchildren; her mother, Grace Vander Werff of Newton; siblings, Bryce (Charlotte) Vander Werff of Kellogg, Lehrl (Marilyn) Vander Werff of Des Moines, John (Anne) Vander Werff of Pleasant Hill, and Carla (Musa) Vander Werff of North Africa; and her many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her father, John Vander Werff. ~ The Des Moines Register, Des Moines, Iowa.