Hometown: Center Junction, Iowa August 18, 1925 - April 12, 2015

Mary "Darlene" Ward, 89, of Center Junction, Iowa died on Sunday, April 12, 2015 at Finley Hospital in Dubuque, Iowa. A celebration honoring her life will be held on Wednesday, April 15, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. at the Lahey Funeral Home in Wyoming, burial will be in the Monmouth Cemetery. Visitation will be held on Tuesday, April 14, 2015 at Lahey's in Wyoming from 4 – 7 p.m. Mary Darlene Holst was born on August 18, 1925 at her home near Warren, Manitoba Canada, daughter of Alvin and Anne (Mulvihill). In early years she did clerical work for Iowa Mutual Insurance in DeWitt, was a homemaker, and a hard working farm wife. She married Raymond A. Ward on February 1, 1947, Raymond died on May 8, 2005. She was a member of Calvary Baptist Church in Onlsow. Surviving her is her five children; Jim Ward of Center Junction, Terrence L. Ward of Waukon, Iowa, Kenneth A. (Erin) Ward of Center Junction, Jane A. (Mark) Schmidt of Rockford, Iowa and Nancy D. (Doug) Ricklefs of Anamosa, 11 grandchildren and 21 great grandchildren, and 2 great grandchildren that are expected soon, her sisters, Virginia Carstensen of DeWitt, and Janet Schnack of Marion, Iowa, her brother Eugene (Cindy) Holst of Bettendorf, her sister-in-laws, Florence McCutcheon and Phyllis Scott of Maquoketa and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, twin brother, Jack, sister-in-law, Ann Holst, and brother-in-laws, Ray Carstensen, Klaus Schnack, Bud Ward, Perry McCutcheon, and George Scott.