Valera Davis

Valera J. Davis, age 88, also known as Val and Cricket, passed away peacefully on Friday, September 4, 2020 at her son’s home in Des Moines.

Val was preceded in death by her husband, George A. Davis; father, Marwin Crow; mother, Era (Whitaker) Muck; sister, Evangelia Janett Crow (Pee Wee); brother, Raymond Muck; granddaughters, Georgina Kimble and Melissa Hasley; and grandsons, Sean Davis and Robert Hasley.

Val was born July 10, 1932 in Sioux City, Iowa to Marwin and Era Crow. Val’s parents would move back to Des Moines where she grew up and attended elementary school, junior high school, and East High School.

When Val was a young girl, her father was drafted into the Navy during WWII. Then came a dark day when Val’s mother came home with a telegram stating that Val’s father was killed when the Germans bombed the ship he was on and he and many other men were killed at sea. Val screamed at her mother, “No! No! I wish it would be anyone else in this world! Please, not my Dad!” She was completely devastated. She was 10 years old when her dad was killed.

After a few years, Val was asked to sing Ave Maria on the radio. Val had a lovely singing voice. She was 12 or 13 years old then. When she was 16, her brother Raymond was born. She loved and doted on her little brother. Still at 16, she would meet a young man who would change her life. That man was George A. Davis. Val and George would marry on September 3, 1949 when she was 17 years old. George and Val spent 62 wonderful years of marriage together. They had six children – John Davis of Des Moines, Sandra Davis and Jerry Jones of Corydon, Larry Davis of Des Moines, Cathy and Bob Leader of Des Moines, Ninette and Dennis Moorman of Corydon, and Michael Davis of Des Moines. Val and George had 22 grandchildren and 39 great-grandchildren. Val loved her children and her grandchildren.

Val had many talents and cooking was one of them. It was pure joy to walk in her home and smell whatever she was cooking or baking. She would sing and cook and you knew everything she cooked or baked was homemade. She made bread, cinnamon rolls, cookies, fudge, birthday cakes, there just wasn’t anything that she couldn’t tackle in the food department. In fact, people on her street where she used to live still rave on to this day about her homemade caramel popcorn balls for Halloween, all 500 of them. Kids would line up down the drive all the way up the street and grown-ups too. So many beautiful memories.

Val could not only cook, but she could sing as well. Many times she sang at church and the congregation would be wiping tears from their eyes because her singing was so pretty. Val attended church regularly until she couldn’t anymore. Val had many talents but if asked, she would say her family was her all-time talent.

And Mom, you did a wonderful job. You taught your kids about Jesus. You made us go to church; you made sure we had the foundation of God in our lives. And we heard you, Mom. You taught your children so many things. Thank you, Mom, for being so loving and sweet. We all want you to know how much we love and miss you. We know where you are at, so our Beloved Mother, until we meet again, please save us a place in Heaven.

Your loving children

Visitation will be held from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, September 15, 2020 at Hamilton’s on Westown Parkway, 3601 Westown Pkwy, West Des Moines. Funeral services will begin at 12:00 p.m. Wednesday, September 16, 2020, also at Hamilton’s, and will conclude with a committal ceremony at Iowa Veterans Cemetery in Adel, Iowa at 2:00 p.m.

Condolences may be expressed at www.HamiltonsFuneralHome.com.

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