Marvin Dwight Davis

Marvin Dwight Davis, SR., 90, of Madrid passed away May 18, 2021 at Madrid Home Communities in Madrid. Funeral services will be 11 a.m., Saturday, May 22 at Anderson Funeral Homes in Marshalltown. Visitation will be 10 a.m. until the time of the service. Interment will take place at the Conrad Cemetery in Conrad. Further arrangements are pending at Anderson Funeral Homes in Marshalltown. Online condolences may be sent to www.andersonfhs.com.

Marvin was born December 15, 1930 at Pawnee City, Nebraska, the son of Melvin Dwight and Ollie B. (Miner) Davis. He was the ninth of thirteen children. Marvin graduated from Pawnee City High School in 1949.

He enlisted in the United States Navy in 1950 and served during the Korean War, stationed in Japan and San Diego. He was honorably discharged in 1954. While he was in the service, his parents moved to a farm near Woodbine, Iowa, so that was the home to which Marvin came after the war. He began working as a hired farm hand in the Woodbine area.

He was united in marriage to Lucy Amelia Malone on December 14, 1956 at her grandparents' home near Dunlap, Iowa. Marvin worked as a hired farm hand during their married life at Defiance, Carson, Eldora, Union, and Conrad. After Lucy's death on March 28, 1997, Marvin moved to Stratford, Iowa to be near his daughter Mitzi and her family. He worked for a couple farmers in the Stratford/Boone area and also worked at Stratford Kids Academy Day Care. In 2003 he moved to Cambridge, Iowa to again be near Mitzi and family. While in Cambridge he also worked some for a local farmer as well as for a cleaning business in Ames.

He lived in Cambridge until 2014 when he moved to Madrid and lived in the Independent Living apartments belonging to Madrid Home Communities. He fell in his apartment on May 15 and transferred to the nursing home on May 17, 2021.

Marvin never knew a stranger, and always seemed to have a story to tell. He loved John Deere tractors and had a collection of scale model John Deere's. He also enjoyed doing jigsaw puzzles (the more challenging the better!) and word search books. He enjoyed listening to country music. He was gifted at fixing things.

Marvin was a lifelong Methodist and was a member of Methodist and United Methodist churches in many of the places where he lived. In Carson he and Lucy were the first married couple ever to team teach a children's Sunday School class (preschool). At the time of his death he was a member of the Napier United Methodist Church near Ames. He was also a past member of the American Legion and AMVETS.

Marvin was preceded in death by his parents; his wife Lucy; brothers Elton, Wayne, Clarence, and Dean Davis; sisters Berniece Hartman, Betty Veeder, Grace Harris, and Lola Hatfield.

Marvin is survived by one daughter, Mitzi (Dale) Schoening of Madrid; one son, Marvin (Edie) Davis, Jr. of Marshalltown; three grandsons, Aaron Schoening of West Des Moines, Caleb Schoening of Nevada, Iowa, and Joel Schoening of Manson; three step-grandsons, Kevin (Gary Ehrecke) Simpson of Richland Hills, Texas, Steve (Diane) Simpson of State Center, and Dan (Tracye) Simpson of San Diego, California; two step-great-grandchildren, Lizzie and Jesse Simpson; one sister, Alice Davis of Dunlap; three brothers, Willie, Larry, and Keith Davis, all of Woodbine; brother-in-law, Abe Malone; sisters-in-law Anna Mae Davis, Pat Malone, Alice Malone, and Betty Malone; many nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews; his beloved dog, Nugget; along with other relatives and a host of friends.