Marlene “Marty” Harper 1934 - 2009

LEATHERMAN, SMITH, HARPER, OLEARY

Posted By: N. Wagner (email)
Date: 10/23/2009 at 19:52:07

Marlene “Marty” Harper, 75, of Manchester, Iowa, died on Tuesday, October 20, 2009 at her residence, after a ten month battle with pancreatic cancer. She was born on February 23, 1934, in Winthrop, Iowa, the daughter of James and Ruth (Leatherman) Smith. Marty was raised and educated in Burlington and Waterloo and graduated from West Waterloo High School in 1951. She attended Iowa State Teachers College in Cedar Falls.

On February 14, 1954, Marty was united in marriage to Dave Harper in Waterloo, when Dave was home on furlough from the army. Two children were born to this union. In September 1957 they moved to Manchester. Marty worked for the Area Special Education office for several years, but her love for the travel business was hard to get out of her blood. In 1968, she opened her own travel agency, which she operated from her home until earlier this year.

Survivors include her husband, David Harper of Manchester; her two children, Laura (Joe) O’Leary of Cedar Rapids, and Jeff (Carol) Harper of Manchester; her five grandchildren, Josh (Sara) O’Leary of Coralville, Jordan O’Leary of Cedar Rapids, Jacob O’Leary of Iowa City, and Aaron and Sara Harper of Manchester; and one great-grandson, Jack O’Leary.

Marty was preceded in death by her parents.

Donations may be designated to GDCCF -Greater Delaware County Community Foundation - Marty Harper Scholarship Fund.

Visitation: 2:00 -6:00 pm October 23, 2009 at Leonard-Muller Funeral Home & Crematory - Manchester, Iowa

Funeral Service: 10:00 a.m. October 24, 2009 at First Presbyterian Church - Manchester, Iowa
Interment: October 24, 2009 at Oakland Cemetery - Manchester, Iowa

Leonard-Muller Funeral Home website