Obituaries : Mary Irene Beals

Mary Irene Beals, 100, of LaPorte City, Iowa, formerly of Decatur, IL, passed away on Wednesday, June 21, 2023, at LaPorte Specialty Care in LaPorte City.

Mary was born on February 3, 1923, the daughter of Ernest and Pearl (White) Williams in Argenta, Illinois. She grew up in Illinois, later receiving her GED. On January 6, 1947, Mary was united in marriage to John Glen Beals in Decatur, IL. The couple were blessed with a daughter, Sharon. John preceded Mary in death on May 15, 1955. For 26 years, Mary worked as a nurse's aide at the Decatur Memorial Hospital, where she retired from.

She was a member of Grace Baptist Church in Decatur, Illinois, where she taught Sunday School for many years. In her later years, she worked in the after-care program for Decatur Christian School. Mary enjoyed floral and vegetable gardening, sewing and embroidery, cooking and baking. She was feisty with a strong personality but if you were ever looking for a prayer warrior, you wouldn't find a better one.

Mary is survived by her daughter Sharon (Tom) Reed of Waterloo; grandchildren Thomas G. Reed Jr. of Beaufort, SC, and Shayla (Dwayne) Nystrom of Waterloo; great-grandchildren Sydney (Logan) Good, Ashley Nystrom, Braden Nystrom, Keegan Nystrom and TJ Nystrom; 19 nieces and nephews (3 deceased). She was preceded in death by her parents; husband John; 5 brothers, Clarence, Jasper, Arthur, Dale, and Paul Williams and 2 sisters Beulah Evans and June Herring.

A graveside service is scheduled for Friday, June 30, 2023, at 12:00 PM at Friends Creek Cemetery, Macon County, Argenta, Illinois. Memorials may be directed to LaPorte City Specialty Care, 1100 218 N., LaPorte City, Iowa 50651. Locke at Tower Park in Waterloo is assisting the family. For memories of Mary and messages of condolence, please visit our website at www.lockefuneralservices.com.