Marilyn Ross

Marilyn "Mary Jane" M. Ross, age 85, of Atwater and formerly of Ames, Iowa, died Friday evening, March 6, at the Sunnyview Assisted Living in Atwater.

Visitation will be from 5-8 P.M. on Wednesday, March 11, at the Atwater Funeral Home. Graveside services will be held at 2:00 PM on Friday, March 13, at the Ames Municipal Cemetery in Ames, Iowa. Visitation will begin at 1:30 PM on Friday at the cemetery. Memorials are preferred. Funeral arrangements are with the Atwater Funeral Home.

Marilyn was born on September 27, 1923, in Iowa City, Iowa, the daughter of Arthur and Mattie (Fox) McCaffrey. She grew up in Nevada, Iowa and graduated from Nevada High School in 1941. On August 23, 1942, in Nevada, Iowa, Marilyn was united in marriage to Merl Ross, Jr. They made their home in Ames, Iowa and Sioux City, Iowa. She worked in the Classification Department, Home Economics College, and was Head Secretary in the Textiles and Clothing Department, Home Economics College at Iowa State University for 27 years. Merl died in 1989 and in 1992, she moved to Atwater. In 2003, Marilyn moved to Glen Oaks Care Center following an elbow replacement. In 2004, she moved to Sunnyview Assisted Living in Atwater.

She is survived by her daughter, Martha (and Dale) Kragenbring of Atwater; two sons, Thomas (and Joan) Ross of Urbandale, Iowa, and James (and Amanda) Ross of Ankeny, Iowa; five grandchildren, Tracy (and Dean) Packingham, Ben, Jessie, Matthew and Michael Ross; and two great grandchildren, Michael and Jennifer Packingham. Also surviving is a sister-in-law, Mary Sjulin of Hamburg, Iowa, many nieces and nephews and the staff of Sunnyview Assisted Living in Atwater.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; one son, Ronald in 2003; one sister, Jeannette in 2000; and her brother-in-law, Dick Ross in 2006.