Marilyn Kay Holmes, 70, of Fort Madison, died Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023, at the Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center in West Burlington.
Born Aug. 18, 1953, in Macomb, Ill., she was the daughter of James and Goldie Benzinger Mixer. On June 10, 1978, she married Warren Dee Holmes Jr. at the First Christian Church in Fort Madison.
Marilyn worked as a cook for Head Start. Prior to that, she had worked for River City Counseling and long before that at Cassano's Pizza in Fort Madison.
She enjoyed canning and gardening, bird watching, especially Hummingbirds, as well as feeding them. Marilyn also enjoyed genealogy, and ancestry and was always telling her grandchildren stories.
Survivors include her mother, Goldie Pruett of Montrose; her husband of 45 years, Warren Dee Holmes Jr. of Fort Madison; three children, Brian (Diane) Moeller of Keokuk, Christina St. Clair of Montrose, and Andrew Holmes of Fort Madison; five grandchildren, Amanda Gilpin, Olivia, Orion and Christopher St. Clair, and Charlianne (Jesse) Blaise; three great-grandchildren, Theron Blaise, Alexis VanTiger and Dean Blaise; brother, Larry Mixer of Montrose; and long time friend, Kay Merten of Donnellson.
She was preceded in death by her father, step-father, Richard Pruett, two grandchildren, and step-sister, Roxanne Pruett.
Cremation has been entrusted to the care of Prugh Crematory.
A celebration of life will be held at a later date.