Services
Obituary
Mary L. (Hackbarth) Lester, 89, of Clarion, passed away on Thursday, December 11, 2025 at MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center in Mason City.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, December 16, 2025 at Ewing Funeral Home, 1801 Central Avenue East in Clarion. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery in Clarion.
Visitation will be held one hour prior to services.
Mary Louise, daughter of Herbert and Mabel (Graff) Hackbarth, was born on March 9, 1936, in rural Rowan. Mary grew up on the family farm with her eight siblings. She graduated from Rowan High School, where she enjoyed playing basketball. After high school, Mary attended Eagle Grove Community College.
Mary was united in marriage to Frank Lester on June 12, 1955, at the Rowan Methodist Church. Mary raised her children on a farm in Clarion and began working outside the home in Belmond and later at Meredith in Clarion.
In her younger years, Mary enjoyed gardening, tending to her flowers, cooking for her family, and sewing. She liked to go for long walks and putting together puzzles. She loved watching a good basketball or baseball game on TV and especially loved supporting her grandchildren and great-grandchildren’s activities.
Mary is survived by her daughters Janice Morford and Kathy (Nick) Stahl; grandchildren Ben, Joe, Chase (Summer), Andie (Mitch), Ryan (Ali), Betsy (Christian), and Sara (Josh); great-grandchildren Case, Bradlee, Franco, Bodhi, Stetson, Cael, Bella, William, Mack, and Lakyn; sisters Charlotte Pals and Kathryn Hoopingarner; and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband Frank in 1990; parents; siblings Barbara Hackbarth, Betty (Raymond) Swanson, Shirley (Leslie) Southard, Herbert Hackbarth Jr., Lester Hackbarth and David (Ellen) Hackbarth; son-in-law Jim Morford; and brothers-in-law Norman Pals Raymond Swanson and Eugene Hoopingarner.