Jolly, Mary Ellen (Hunt)

JOLLY, HUNT, BREWER

Posted By: volunteer (email)
Date: 7/14/2005 at 20:40:33

Mary Ellen Hunt Jolly, born near Swan, Iowa on April 5, 1905, died December 11, 2000 at Knoxville Community Hospital, at Knoxville Community Hospital, at age 95 years, eight months and six days.

Mary was the eldest of seven children born to Chester Emerson and Nancy May Brewer Hunt. She accepted Christ and was baptized in the Des Moines River near Bennington Bridge on her 14th birthday, becoming a member of the Swan Christian Church. She attended OK rural school, Swan High School and sessions at Penn College, Oskaloosa and Drake University in Des Moines. Mary taught in rural schools, Swan school and Dolliver Consolidated at Dolliver Iowa until her marriage to James Kirtz Jolly. They were married on May 27, 1931 in the Swan Christian Church and began married life in the first home built on Kirtz's grandfather Jolly's farm southeast of Pleasantville. They lived all their married life here, replacing the old house with a modern home in 1965. To their union were born three children, Ruth Mary, Nancy Esther and Dean Kirtz Jolly.

In the early 1970's Mary retired from Look Magazine in Des Moines. She was a member of Pleasantville Church of Christ, Mary Marion Chapter and Alaska Chapter of Daughters of American Revolution, KYN club (Know Your Neighbor) Cooperative Extension Homemakers Club, serving as County chairman, and member of Marion Co, Farm Bureau Board on which she served two terms as Marion Co. Women's Chairman. She served many years as a leader to Merry Maids 4H club, and served as Sunday School teacher and/or Superintendent from the time she was a high school student until April 9, 1995 following her 90th birthday.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, son and brother Lawrence.

Survivors include her daughters and their husbands, Ruth Mary and Larry Knapman of Fairbanks, Alaska; Nancy and Walter Howell of Earlham, Iowa; daughter-in-law, Ruby Jolly of Knoxville; grandchildren Robert Van Veldhuizen and wife Pattye of Fairbanks, AK; Jay Van Veldhuizen and wife Debbie of Mead, WA; Varina Van Veldhuizen Pickett and husband Alan of Midvale, ID; Marcia Howell Anker and husband Jeff of Littleton, CO; Craig Howell and wife Paulette of Elmendorf, TX; Jeff Howell and wife Annette of Earlham, IA; Kimberly Jolly of Knoxville; step grandchildren, Kemp Knapman and wife Peggy and Cina Knapman Keefe and husband Tom all of Anchorage, AK; Great grandchildren: Joshua Howell and wife Jana; Carrie Howell Wright and husband John; Jacob and Matthew Van Veldhuizen, Kelyn and Sutton Anker, Joshua and Kristina Van Veldhuizen, Kelsey, Katie and Lanson Howell, Melissa and Joseph Pickett, and step great grandchildren Jessica and Jarod Keefe, Devon and Nicholas Knapman.

Mary is also survived by three brothers: Bion Hunt of Vinita, OK; Russell Hunt and wife Ruth of Pleasantville; Robert Hunt and wife Dorothy of Pryor, OK; two sisters: Gladys Vander Ploeg and Helen Rozenburg of Des Moines; nine nephews: Lee, David, Larry and Arlos Hunt; Ronald Vander Ploeg; Frank, Arland, Richard and Rodney Jolly; sixteen nieces: ELsie Cole, Josephine Jones, Carolyn Miller, Dorothy Daniels, Judy Hunt, Priscilla Jane Hopkins, Betty Hem, Virginia Raney, Sharon Nuzum, Rita Bennett, Linda Williams, Lolita Binford, Jolee Robinson, Julia Nevlyn, Marica Hartman and Joye Dillman and their spouses.

Services were held at Pleasantville Church of Christ on Friday, December 15, 2000 with burial in the family plot at Pleasantville Cemetery. Memorials may be made to her church, Pleasantville Church of Christ.

Knoxville Journal Express, December 26, 2000