Mary J. (Freeken) Rozendaal, 85, of Newton, died Wednesday, June 15, 2022, at Park Centre. A memorial service to honor both Mary and her husband, Ed, who passed away during the COVID pandemic, will be held at 10:30 a.m., Monday, June 27, at Lamoille Congregational Community Church in Marshalltown. The family will greet friends after the service with a lunch at the church. A graveside service will then be held at 1:30 p.m. at the Sully Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials to the Iowa 4-H Foundation may be left at the church the day of the service or at Wallace Family Funeral Home and Crematory.
Mary, the daughter of L.D. “Rennie” and Freada M. (Eldredge) Freeken, was born Jan. 28, 1937, in Newton. She grew up in Newton and graduated from Newton High School in 1955. Mary was united in marriage with Edward “Ed” Norman Rozendaal on Mar. 29, 1957, in Newton. When Ed’s parents died in 1962, Ed and Mary took over the home farm until moving to State Center in 1968. They farmed in State Center until they retired to the farm they owned near Colo. They later moved to Newton.
Mary was involved with 4-H for many years as a member and then a leader. She was also an active member of the Lamoille Congregational Church. Mary enjoyed hardanger needlework and wintering near her daughter, grandchildren, and friends in California. She was a beautiful seamstress; she taught many people to sew through the years and loved making doll clothes for area children.
Mary is survived by her children Doug (Kim Pardon) Rozendaal of Clear Lake and Kelley (Siamack) Haghighi of Laguna Niguel, CA; grandchildren Kimia Haghighi of Barcelona, Spain, Annahita Haghighi of Dan Diego, CA, and Kayvon Haghighi of Mesa, AZ; and her sister, Ruth (Arthur) Boyer of Des Moines.
She was preceded in death by her parents and husband Ed.
