Mariya Tikhonyuk

Mariya Tikhonyuk, 94, passed away January 4, 2018. A visitation will be held Sunday, January 7, 2018 from 1 to 2 p.m. at Hamilton’s on Westown Parkway, 3601 Westown Parkway in West Des Moines, IA.

Mariya was born June 18, 1923 in the Moscow region of Russia to Agafya (Veselovsky) and Nikolay Mitrokhin. She came to the United States in 2001 with her daughter’s family. In 2008, Mariya became a US citizen, an accomplishment she was extremely proud of. Though she didn’t speak English, Mariya was an avid viewer of the news and could name all of the Governors, politicians and Presidents. She lived in downtown Des Moines for 15 years and was an avid walker on the skywalk system. She also enjoyed attending festivals and shows in the downtown area. Mariya moved to West Des Moines this past summer to be closer to her family and quickly became friends with her neighbors despite the language barrier.

She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Natalie and Michael Murlaga; her grandchildren, Simon (Helen) Murlaga of Des Moines, IA and Marianna (Peter) Wallin of Sweden; great-grandchildren, Christopher Borsch of Sweden and Daniel Murlaga of Des Moines, IA; and her sister, Valentinna Glukhova of Russia.

Condolences may be expressed online at www.HamiltonsFuneralHome.com.

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