Marie Widmer

Marie Ruth (Ediger) Widmer, 98, of Washington, died Friday, Dec. 18, 2015, in Halcyon House in Washington.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m., Monday, Dec. 28, at the Washington Mennonite Church with the Rev. Amanda Beachy officiating. Following the service, there will be a fellowship meal at the church, during which the family will greet friends. A private family burial will be held prior to the memorial service. A memorial fund has been established for Iowa Mennonite School, Crooked Creek Christian Camp and Mennonite Central Committee. Beatty Peterseim Funeral Home in Washington is handling the arrangements.

Mrs. Widmer was born June 12, 1917, in Buhler, Kansas, the daughter of Henry H. and Marie (Schmidt) Ediger. While she was doing her volunteer service in post World War II Amsterdam, Holland, she met and married her husband, Galen W. Widmer.

She graduated from Buhler High School and Grace Hospital School of Nursing in Hutchinson, Kansas. She and her husband helped relocate Russian refugees through Germany during the time they spent there, and later in her life she was involved in helping relocate Laotian refugees. She was an RN and worked at Henry County Hospital, Washington County Hospital, and the Parkview Home in Wayland. She was a member of the Washington Mennonite Church, where she was involved in many ways, also volunteering at the Crowded Closet and other organizations. She enjoyed crocheting and reading, especially reading the Bible, which she had read through several times. She loved her family and spent many hours praying for them and for many others.

Surviving are four sons, Tim Widmer and wife Cindy, Gay Widmer and wife Gloria, Jon Widmer and wife Becky, all of Washington, and Carl Darby and wife Donna of Iowa City; 12 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; and one sister, Amanda Bartel of Wichita, Kansas.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Galen, in 1997; and seven siblings, Curt, Linda, Henry, Hilda, Sam, Ray, and Lavina.