Mara Lyndi Nevins

Mara Lyndi Nevins, age 11, graduated to heaven on Tuesday, December 12, 2023. She was at home surrounded by family and loved ones, after valiantly battling brain cancer for seven years.

On October 27, 2012, Mara graced her parents, Lyle and Brandi Nevins, as well as her siblings, with the miracle of her birth.

Mara is so much more than her cancer diagnosis and strives to be just an ordinary kid. She fought hard to walk, talk and swallow again, after her first brain surgery. Despite being told she would never catch up with her peers, Mara’s strength and tenacity proved them wrong. She worked hard to achieve the level of learning to match her peers. She loves all things unicorns and rainbows, and anything blue. She enjoys singing and dancing, especially to JoJo Siwa. She enjoys shopping for herself and others, online or in stores. She likes painting, creating crafts and coloring. She loves the water. Whether it’s a warm bath, often with her sister, the swimming pool or in the ocean. She is fond of elephants but has a particular soft spot for dogs, above all her dogs Callie and Lucy.

Mara is a gentle and quiet soul but is willing to open up to those who take the time to get to know her. Those who have befriended Mara, know how special she truly is. Her family will be forever grateful for these individuals.

In addition to spending time with friends, she also treasures spending time with her siblings. She eagerly awaits sister and brother sleepovers. She looks forward to any type of celebration and loves to party. She can often be found providing after dinner entertainment for her family, with impromptu shows or engaging in dart gun wars with her siblings and friends. Mara cherishes family game night and movie nights, complete with popcorn and M&M’s.

One of Mara’s favorite places to be is the kitchen. She has been helping prepare supper since she was two. On Sunday mornings she and Brinley make colorful pancake creations. Her greatest joy comes from baking cookies, cupcakes or anything that can be decorated with frosting.

Left to cherish her memories are her parents, her siblings, Lindsey Nevins, Trevor Larsen, Cora Larsen and Brinley Nevins, her maternal grandparents; Mike (Mary Jo) Freestone and Sue (Ray) Sheeder, maternal great-mother; Jean Freestone, as well as aunts, uncles, cousins and many friends.

She was preceded in death by her paternal grandparents Gene and Ruth Nevins, her paternal uncles, her great-grandparents, as well as her dog Callie.

Visitation will be held from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. Monday, December 18, 2023, at Lutheran Church of Hope, 925 Jordan Creek Parkway, West Des Moines. Funeral service will begin at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, December 19, 2023, also at Lutheran Church of Hope. Brunch will follow. Burial will then take place at Oakdale Cemetery in Adel, Iowa. For those unable to attend the service in person, it will be livestreamed by Lutheran Church of Hope through a link that will be available here the day of the service.

In Lieu of flowers, contributions may be directed to Tori’s Angels, Children’s Cancer Connection or Unravel Pediatric Cancer Foundations. These foundations will always hold a special place in our hearts for the joy they bring to Mara and others every day. Tori’s Angels were quick to adopt Mara into their family and support her through her cancer journey. She will forever love Bill’s Mickey Mouse pancakes. The Children’s Cancer Connection supplies our family with joy through the many camps and activities they provide for children and siblings of pediatric cancer. Mara loves fluttering an unsuspecting yard with dragonflies in hopes of raising money for pediatric cancer research every night in September for Unravel Pediatric Cancer.

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