Emma Strait

Emma Lee Strait, 82, of Murray passed away Monday, Oct. 29, 2018, at Clarke County Hospital in Osceola.

She was born April 22, 1936, to Willie O. and Annie Watkins Gerloff in Corpus Christi, Texas. She married Wayne Strait in 1955. Wayne and Emma lived in St. Charles, Missouri, for several years before returning to Iowa in 1971. They later divorced.

Emma was a homemaker. She enjoyed gardening, going to yard sales and was a member of Garden Club. Emma was very active in the Girl Scouts when her daughters were young. In her later years, she moved close to her daughter, Louise, to help care for her great-grandchildren. Emma was a mom, grandmother and great-grandmother who will be greatly missed by her family and friends.

She is survived by two daughters, Louise Brown of Murray and Mary (Ben) Parish of Cedar Rapids; four grandchildren, Lyndsey Still, Peri Brown, Wendy Parish (Joel Konen) and Curtis Parish (Branden Mast); four great-grandchildren, April Still, Keithan Still, Josiah Wilson and Jensen Clark; seven siblings, Billie McLenden, Richard “Buddy” Gerloff, Mary Reed, Darlene Winningham, Della (Wayne) Smith, Elvis Gerloff and Donald Gerloff and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Willie and Annie Gerloff and daughter Kathleen Strait.

Funeral services were 2 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 1, at Pedrick Funeral Home, 1517 Broad St., in Keosauqua. Visitation with family present to greet friends was 12:30 p.m. and continued until the time of the service at the funeral home. Burial was in Zion Lutheran Cemetery near Douds. Memorial contributions may be made to Emma's family. Online condolences may be directed to www.pedrickfuneralhome.com.