Marilyn Behrendsen

Marilyn Dorthy Behrendsen, 68, of Urbandale, Iowa, passed away at her home surrounded by her family, on Wednesday, July 9, 2008 at 1:05 p.m. Memorial services will be at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 12, 2008 at Hamilton’s on Westown Parkway, 3601 Westown Parkway, West Des Moines, Iowa. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service. Burial will follow at Glendale Cemetery in Des Moines, Iowa.
Born in Stanton, Nebraska on February 4, 1940, to Malvern and Irene Smith, Mary began her adult life in Colorado with five amazing children. She moved back to Iowa in 1998 to be close to her family. At the age of 61, she graduated from Marshalltown Community College with an Associate of Arts degree in counseling and worked at the Quakerdale Boys Home where she used her incredible talents for working with troubled teens. They all looked up to her and called her “Mom”.
Mary enjoyed spending time with her family, playing games, gardening, walking, and being around others. She was a very strong and spirited woman. She left a mark on the hearts of many people. Mary holds true to the cliché that powerful things come in small packages.
Survivors include her daughter, Debra (Johnnie) Ketchum of Urbandale, Iowa; sons, Walter Miner of Middleburg, Florida, Jack Miner of Urbandale, Iowa, Billy (Kim) Miner of Rochester, Minnesota, and Corey (Annalisa) Miner of Mason City, Iowa; grandchildren, Kellie (Dennis) Young, Kari Ketchum, Karen Ketchum, Mike Ketchum, Ali Miner, Zach Miner, Marissa Miner, Sierra Miner, Corey David Miner, Braedon Miner, and Addison Miner; great- grandchildren, Kirsten Young and Devon Young; brothers, Robert (Ardie) Smith of West Point, Nebraska and Garry (Dorothy) Smith of Grand Island, Nebraska; sisters, Ardith Pagels of Howell, Michigan, and Bev Holtz of Lewisville, Texas; and step-father, Leland Kind of Beemer, Nebraska. She was preceded in death by her mother, Irene Kind and her father, Malvern Smith.
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