Marilyn May Westerhof, 91, of Davenport, Iowa, died peacefully Sunday, May 12, 2024, at Edencrest at Siena Hills, Ankeny, Iowa.
Marilyn May Yeager was born on May 26, 1932, in Davenport, Iowa to Alice and Clarence Yeager. She was pre-deceased by two brothers, Robert Yeager and Clarence Yeager; and a sister Marjorie King.
She married the love of her life, John G. Westerhof, on August 9, 1952, with whom she shared 47 (mostly) wonderful years of marriage before he passed on February 16, 1999. They loved going on long drives and would often take their camper to Elkader, Iowa where John would fish, and Marilyn would bird watch and keep camp. Marilyn had a passion for genealogy and John would drive her and her sister Marjorie to various libraries where they would spend hours upon hours researching their family history - or to cemeteries where they would make rubbings of their ancestors’ tombstones. John was an Airforce veteran and a police officer, and even after his death, Marilyn remained an active member of the Police Wives Auxiliary – staying apprised of the latest gossip, raising money for their annual police convention and doing her part to make sure every local veteran received a card for the holidays.
In fact, Marilyn seemed to get even more active (and bolder) with age. She learned to drive in her forties and became an enthusiastic member of the Red Hat Society. She had more ear piercings than her teenage granddaughters and got her first tattoo (a giant red rose on her forearm) well after she turned 70.
She may never have enjoyed cooking, but her kitchen was always decorated according to the seasons – whether it was strawberries, cows, or sunflowers, she would have curtains, tablecloths and even salt and pepper shakers that were impeccably well-coordinated. Her fridge was stocked with variety of Jell-O molds and other desserts for the grandkids (the boxed cherry cheesecake was a fan favorite) and she could make a solid 2-3 pies out of one can of pumpkin for the holidays. Her spritz cookies are still a family favorite…although no one seems to be able to make them quite like she did.
Speaking of her grandkids, Marilyn loved her grandchildren and her great grandchildren. Whether it was “rock hunting” together, collecting seashells at the beach, making crafts, visiting the AirForce museum, taking them to Wal Mart to pick out a toy or simply watching a movie (which she would interrupt regularly to ask what was happening) – she cherished her time with them. She never forgot a birthday!
Although she was rarely short on things to do or people to see, Marilyn also enjoyed just sitting on the swing on her front porch, watching the birds and squirrels or listening to some country music (Clay Walker, specifically – who she always insisted looked just like her late husband John).
Mairlyn will be deeply missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing her. Those left to honor her memory are her children: Gary (Margaret) Westerhof, John (Connie) Westerhof, and Scott (Kathy) Westerhof; her grandchildren and great grandchildren.
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