Marilyn Francis Washburn

Marilyn Davitt Washburn, 92, passed away Thursday, December 5. 2019,  in Des Moines.       Marilyn Francis Davitt was born June 22, 1927, west of Indianola, Iowa, to Joseph William Davitt and Nellie Bridget (Laughlin) Davitt.  She joined a sister, Dixie Davitt.  She lived with the family several years on farms west of Indianola, then on the farms at Scotch Ridge, north of Indianola, and southeast of Des Moines.  She attended country school before riding the public bus to attend high school in Indianola. Her extended family enjoyed making music and baseball.  There were no sports for girls so she played baseball until they discovered she was a girl. She beat all Des Moines boys and girls for the high jump championship when she was young, that was a very long time ago.  She was active in chorus and drama in high school. During World War II, she was still in school, but she worked at the commissary at Fort Des Moines off Army Post Road. She attended Simpson College and graduated after completing her senior year at the University of Iowa. She taught one year in Des Moines and then ventured to Guthrie Center, Iowa.  There she met and married a local farmer, Junior Washburn whom she married in 1950. On their first date, the were dancing at the Redwoods in Anita.  When Marilyn turned around, Junior was gone.  In actuality, he had taken some fancy steps and fallen flat on the dance floor.  They married during the school year so they honeymooned in separate homes to keep the marriage secret.  Married women weren’t allowed to take jobs from male teachers at that time.  She was also advised that it was improper to attend movies at the theater on Sunday.  She was always going to write a book about their first 10 years of marriage.  They had three children in those years and many challenges.  She went total blind three weeks after a car accident.  Fortunately, she acquired most of her vision.  Then Junior was burned on the left side of his body.  That healed and two years later, they were racing to town and higher ground when the house began filling with 4 feet of floodwater.  The decade ended with Junior getting polio after having finished immunization.  The immunization helped lessen the effects of the disease and he recovered fully. During her 33 years in teaching, she taught physical education, English, and geography to high school and junior high students. During this time, she also taught one year in Casey, Iowa.  She chaperoned the girls’ basketball team and later had a girls’ drill team, the Stepperettes, who performed during basketball games.  She embraced small-town life and the people.  She followed the lives of her students in school, in extracurricular activities and even after they had graduated.  In her 30 years, she taught multiple generations of many families.  She was honored and flattered by students who would return and share fond memories of her classes, appreciation of her connection to them, or gratitude for her lessons, encouragement, and emphasis on lifelong learning.  She was pleased to see how many students named her as their favorite teacher in the school section of the local paper. She enjoyed her friends and family and traveling.  She was always willing to travel someplace.  She loved playing cards and was the last surviving original member of a bridge group that formed in 1952.  She loved playing cards and other games and was never comfortable with losing.  Her children learned how to lose gracefully.  She had many interests: reading, woodcarving, sewing, painting and stained glass.  After her children left home, she even dabbled in acting in local productions. She and Junior grew close to their niece and family, Janice and Jim Vandevanter and daughters Julie and Jane.  They assumed the role of grandparents and great grandparents after Janice’s parent passed. Marilyn is survived by her children:  Peg York (Jim) Fredericksburg, VA; John Washburn, Des Moines; Jim Washburn, Solano Beach, CA; Mary Jane Washburn (Theresa Lenaghan), Madison, WI; and three grandchildren:  Sally Shea (Mike), Fredericksburg, VA; Kristin Washburn (Clark Evans), Solano Beach, CA; and Jace Washburn, Arlee, Montana. She was preceded in death by her husband of 62 years, Carroll Junior Washburn, her parents, sister, and infant brother Dean, sister-in-law Lorene Miller and her husband John, and brother-in-law Kyle Dawson. Memorial contributions may be offered in her name to Timbercreek Therapies, 2400 Poplar Avenue, Guthrie Center, IA  50115.