Mary Belle Furst

Mary B. Furst MUSCATINE, Iowa--Mary Belle Furst, 94, of Illinois City, passed away on Sunday, September 29, 2013, at the All American Care Center. Funeral Service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, October 5, 2013, at the Geo. M. Wittich-Lewis Home for Funeral and Cremation Services. Casket bearers will be Dillon DeKeyrel, Dakota DeKeyrel, Andy Lee, Shawn Minard, Scott Minard, Adam Minard, Bill Minard and Kirk Minard. Burial will take place in Illinois City Cemetery. Visitation will be from 3 until 7 p.m. on Friday, October 4, 2013, at the funeral home. Memorials may be directed to the Illinois City United Methodist Church in memory of Mary. Mary was born on July 4, 1919, in Marked Tree, Arkansas, the daughter of Amos and Gladys Faulkner Ziegenhorn. Her family moved to Illinois by train when Mary was four years old. She married Milton V. Furst on October 17, 1936, in Washington, Iowa. They had three children, Gary, Carroll and Deloris. Mary worked at Illinois City Elementary in the kitchen from 1965-1981. She started as a full-time kitchen helper and then became the head cook. Milton also worked at the school as a custodian, so their grandchildren who atten...[more]

View Full Online Obituary and Tributes

the school got to see them every day. Mary and Milton attended the Illinois City United Methodist Church where Mary taught Sunday school and Bible School. She belonged to Rose of Sharon for 50 years and was also a member of the Royal Neighbors of America. Mary and her husband were on two bowling leagues which occupied both their Sunday evenings and Wednesday afternoons. Mary is survived by her children, Carroll Furst and wife, Louann, and Deloris Pape, all of Illinois City; a daughter-in-law, Mitzi Furst of Washington, Illinois; eight grandchildren, Debbie DeKeyrel, Denise Pape, Deanna Lee and husband, Andy; Bill Minard and wife, Cindy, Kirk Minard and wife, Tami, Scott Minard and wife, Michelle, and Donna Furst; 14 great-grandchildren, Dillon and Dakota DeKeyrel, Serena and Hannah Lee, Emily Spencer and husband, Scott, Adam Minard and wife, Melissa, Tasha and Shanna Canfield, Stephanie and Jay Eads, Shawn (Lindsay), Colin, and Connor Minard; and Erik Furst; seven great-great-grandchildren, Brooke and Chloe Spencer; Gibson Minard, Reyna and Braeden Einfeldt; Josh and Lily Minard; a brother, Paul Ziegenhorn of Muscatine; a sister, Helen VanDolah of Park Forest, Illinois; and many nieces and nephews. Mary was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; one son, Gary; one grandson, David; a son-in-law, Darrell Pape; four sisters; and one brother.