Obituary of Edna W. Maruska

Carroll, IA – Edna W. Maruska, 103, went to her heavenly home Sunday, January 28 at Addington Place in Carroll.  Funeral service will be Saturday, February 3 at 11:00 am, with visitation beginning at 10:00 am, at First Prebyterian Church in Lake Andes.  Arrangements by Koehn Bros. Funeral Home in Lake Andes.

Edna  was born to George and Alice (Petty) Wuest on November 3, 1920 near Lake Andes, SD.  She attended country school for eight years and graduated from Lake Andes High School in 1938. Following graduation, she worked for Northwestern Bell Telephone Company in Lake Andes and Mitchell, SD. During WW2 in May 1943, she enlisted in the Navy WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) in the Medical corp. She was stationed in Bronx, NY, Great Lakes Naval Station, Pasco, Wa, Primary Training Command and Livermore Ca. She was discharged in November, 1945. In May 2022, Edna went on the Honor Flight and was recognized as being the oldest living WAVE.  On May 12, 1947, she married Jesse Maruska. They resided in Watertown and Aberdeen, SD prior to moving to Lake Andes where they owned a jewelry store and later purchased a farm. In 1987, they retired and moved from the farm into town. Edna was employed by the Charles Mix County Auditors office for 17 years, retiring in 1979.  In 2011, Edna moved into Countryside Living in Mitchell, SD. In September 2019, she moved to Lake City, IA and lived with her granddaughter, Anne, until she moved into Addington Place of Carroll, IA in March 2022.  Edna was a life long member of the 1st Presbyterian Church in Lake Andes, served on the Medical Board and Cemetery Association and was a 50 year member of the Order of Eastern Star. 

Preceding her in death were her parents; husband Jesse; five brothers, Robert, William, George, Paul and Leon Wuest; 2 sisters, Eloise Thompson, and Mary Armfield Mayer; and a great granddaughter Mariah Anstine.

Edna is survived by her four children, Beverly (Joel) Steinmark, Lake Andes, Cheryl (Mark) Wenzlaff, Maricopa AZ, Mary (Paige) Reiter, Lake City, IA and Robert (Verna) of Seattle WA;  sisters-in-law, Sandra and Darlene Wuest; 6 grandchildren, Marlys Conaway, Sheila Anderson, Bryce Anderson, Sommer Anstine, Aaron Reiter and Anne Souder; 15 great grandchildren; 13 great-great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.