Julie Ann Clark

Julie Ann Clark, 65, of Britt, Iowa passed away peacefully on May 11, 2022, in Des Moines after a long battle with kidney failure. She was born March 21, 1957, the daughter of Evelyn and Henry “Hienie” Gerdes. In 1975, Julie ventured to Des Moines to pursue her nursing degree at Methodist nursing school. She never missed her daily check-in calls with her mother, her best friend. After graduation, while working at Methodist Medical Center, right after nursing school, she met the love of her life, Mark, who was radiology tech at the hospital. They wed in October 1986 and went on to have two sons, Casey and Holden. Julie worked at Broadlawns for 10 years as an ICU/OR nurse and Iowa Methodist Medical Center for 28 years as an Operating Room nurse, until she retired.

Julie was passionate about select hobbies including gardening, sewing, caring for her domestic and feral cats, and watching baseball and crime drama with Mark. They were long-time Chicago Cubs fans until the franchise traded all of their key World Series winning players in 2016. They switched their loyalty to the Chicago White Sox in spite. Julie had a green thumb and grew plants and vegetables in her garden, specifically tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers. Julie kept busy sewing quilts, and accumulated tubs full over several years’ time. She was a mom to generations of cats, nurturing and naming each one.

Julie cherished her relationships with family and friends. She was very close-knit with a small circle of friends that were considered family. When it came to her boys, she protected them fiercely and always looked out for their best interest. She loved her role as Grandma and made every effort to spoil her grandchildren.

Julie is survived by her husband, Mark of Des Moines, IA; children Casey (Amy) Clark of Urbandale, IA, and Holden (Cameron) Clark of Pleasant Hill, IA; step-daughter Trisha Tyson of Olathe, KS; mother and father-in-law Bob and Audrey Clark of Creston, IA; four grandchildren: Wyatt and Brooklyn Tyson, and Dani and Bailey Clark; sister Diane Dahl; niece Leslie Dahl; nephew Tom Dahl; cousin Bob (Vicki) Peterson.

Julie was preceded in death by her parents Evelyn and Henry Gerdes.

Special thanks to all of the medical staff that cared for Julie, including Dr. Eric Holm and the doctors and nursing staff at Methodist Medical Center.

A memorial gathering will be held at Iles Westover Chapel in Des Moines, IA on Sunday, May 15, 2022 from 3-5pm. A time for sharing memories will follow. There will be a private burial in Woden, Iowa where Julie will be laid to rest next to her beloved mother and father. Memorials, in memory of Julie, may be made to an animal rescue/shelter of the donor’s choice. Online condolences are welcome at www.IlesCares.com.