SERVICE INFORMATION:

Emily Bell (Lewis) MacDonald - Bengtson, 93, of Farragut, Iowa, entered into eternal rest on Saturday, March 26, 2022, at her home.  Funeral services will be held on Friday, April 1, 2022, at 10:30 am at Nishna Valley Funeral and Cremation Service in Shenandoah with Pastor Carl Phillips officiating.  Open visitation will take place from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm on Thursday, March 31, 2022, at the funeral home.  The family will greet relatives and friends with visitation from 5:00 to 7:00 pm Thursday evening.  Burial will take place in the Utterback Cemetery, rural Riverton, Iowa.  Memorials in Emmy's name are being directed to the family.

 

OBITUARY:

Emily Bell (Lewis) MacDonald Bengtson, “Emmy”, passed away at her home in Farragut, Iowa on March 26, 2022, at the age of 93 years, 2 months, 16 days.  She was born January 10, 1929, to Dawson and Mabel (Simmerman) Lewis in rural Fremont County on the family farmstead. Emily was the second of six children and grew up on the family farm south of Farragut.  She graduated from Riverton High School with the Class of 1946.

On September 17, 1946, Emily married Howard “Doc” MacDonald and they made their home in Farragut.  Emily and Doc had two children, Steven MacDonald, and Susan (MacDonald) Nance. Emily lost her husband Doc in an accident in 1977.  On January 30, 1982, she was united in marriage to Carl Victor Bengtson.

Well known for her cooking and baking, Emily also had a wonderful sense of humor and loved sharing stories and jokes.  She shared her love of cooking and baking throughout her life, in her restaurants in Farragut, the Shenandoah Elks Club, and catering for numerous weddings, reunions, parties and fundraising events. Emily was most famous for her cinnamon rolls and was featured in the New Yorker and Bon Appetit magazines and earned many awards for her cooking and baking. She published her favorite recipes in her cookbook in 2011 and retired in 2014 at the age of 84.

Emily loved to spend time with her family, spoiling grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren. She was an avid gardener and enjoyed canning vegetables and making jams and jellies to share with her friends and family. She was an active member of the Fremont County Historical Society. She served on the Farragut City Council for 18 years and was active in local politics throughout her life.

Preceding Emily in death were her parents, Dawson & Mabel Lewis; brother, George Lewis; two sisters, Mary Ann Waltz and Elsie Campbell; grandson, Patrick Nance; husband, Howard MacDonald; and husband, Carl Victor Bengtson.

Left to cherish her memory are her two children, Steven MacDonald and wife Rhonda of Sidney, IA and Susan Nance and husband Dennis of Shenandoah, IA; nine grandchildren, Lisa Countryman and husband Dan of Sidney, IA, Michael MacDonald and wife Anna of Farragut, IA, Theresa Bryant and husband Kenny of Sidney, IA, Katrina Gude and husband Mark of Hamburg, IA, Brenda Benedict and husband Don of Sidney, IA, Jamie MacDonald and Nick Howard of Tabor, IA, Megan Travis and husband Tyler of Sidney, IA, Denise Lee and husband Randy of Lafayette, IN, and Denny Nance of Lafayette, IN; 27 great grandchildren; 26 great-great grandchildren; two brothers, Terry Lewis and Jennifer Smith of Sidney, IA and Michael Lewis and Kathy Grissum of Booneville, MO; numerous other relatives; and many friends.