Mary "Van" Elliott

January 15, 2023

Mary "Van" Elliott

Service Details

Mary “Van” Elliott passed away peacefully on January 15, 2023, at her home. She was born on May 28, 1943, in Berryville, Arkansas to Rex and Ardith Standlee.
Van is survived by her loving husband of 63 years, Gary; daughter, Kim (Ken) Hiebert; grandchildren Gary (Audra) Hiebert and Stefanie (Derek) Busby; and eight great-grandchildren.
Van was a Real Estate agent, working primarily for Iowa Realty for 35-plus years before retiring to travel. She took great pride in connecting with her clients and helping them find their perfect homes. She truly never knew a stranger and could connect with just about anyone.
One of her greatest passions in life was her horses. She was an avid breeder of fine Arabian horses along with her husband Gary for over 50 years. They formed Willow Park Arabians in Washington State and produced many top-quality horses over the years and she really loved to see her husband and granddaughter show. She loved her mares and the foals were her biggest pride and joy. After retiring she and Gary spent much of their time traveling out west with their horses and trail riding in the mountains and eventually moved to Arizona, where they spent winters enjoying the desert trails together on horseback. She had the kindest soul and loved animals of all kinds. They seemed to flock to her as if they knew she would care for them. She loved her cats and her beloved dog Shadow.
She enjoyed sharing poetry and family pictures with anyone she could get to sit down with her. Above all, she enjoyed spending time with her family and her great-grandchildren. Baking, sharing her love of horses, tea parties, and searching for unique rocks were just a few things she enjoyed with them.
She is preceded in death by her parents.
“Help me Lord to live my life in such a manner that when I make that last ride to the country up there, where the grass grows lush and the water runs cool, You’ll take me by the hand and say, Welcome home Cowgirl.
There will be a Celebration of Life held at a later date.
Memorial contributions may be directed to the family in loving memory of Van or an animal-related organization of your choice.

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