Obituary of Theodore Marra

Theodore "Ted" William Marra, son of Teunis and Rena (Doeksen) Marra, was born November 25, 1922 near Hull, IA. He spent his youth in the Hull area, where he attended country school, graduating from Sioux Center High School in 1940. Ted served his country in the United States Army from 1943 to 1946, enlisting during World War II. Following his honorable discharge, he returned home and began farming with his father. On February 23, 1949, Ted was united in marriage to Nelverne C. Humme at the First Reformed Church in Hull, IA. The couple was blessed with two children: Keith and David. Following their marriage, they lived on a farm near Hull for two years, and then moved to a farm northwest of Sanborn, IA where they raised their family and were engaged in farming together. In 1988, Ted and Nelverne retired and moved into the town of Sanborn. Their retirement years were spent relaxing, being with their family and doing some traveling. They both enjoyed several bus tours, an overseas visit to Germany, as well as day-trips to other locations. A travel highlight for Ted was being part of the Siouxland Honor Flight to Washington D.C. in 2009. While you can take the man off the farm, but you can't take the farm out of the man...so gardening was naturally a favorite pastime for Ted. Following Nelverne's death in September, 2010, Ted moved to the Christian Retirement Home in Sheldon, IA in December of the same year. He remained active shooting snooker, playing cards or dominos, and attending NWC football games. He was an avid sports fan, especially when it came to the Minnesota Twins or the HMS Hawks! He thoroughly enjoyed attending his grandchildren's sporting and music events over the years. Ted belonged to the First Reformed Church in Sanborn where he had served on the Consistory. He was a member of the Sanborn American Legion, served as a hospice volunteer, and had been on the Sanborn Community School Board. Ted passed from this life on Wednesday, November 5, 2014 at the age of 91. Grateful for having shared his life are his children: Keith and his wife, Beryl Marra of Milford, IA, and David and his wife, Jerilyn Marra of Sanborn, IA; grandchildren: Rory Marra of Milford, Reeann Marra of Odebolt, IA, Derrick Marra, a student at Northwestern College in Orange City, IA, Emily (Bruce) Van Beek of Sioux Center, IA, Martha (Michael) Post of Inwood, IA, Grace (Josh) Bisch of Oceanside, CA, Guthrie Claus of Ocheyedan, IA, Evan (Regan) Claus of Inwood, IA; 13 great-grandchildren; many nieces, nephews and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Nelverne; three brothers: Wilmer, Bill and Clarence Marra; one sister, Dorothy Franken.