Obituary of Edythe Malson

Edythe C. “Polly” Malson, 91, of Newton, died Sunday, June 18, 2023, at the Kavanaugh House in Des Moines, Iowa.

Memorial services will be held at 1:30 pm, Friday, June 23 at the Pence ~ Reese Funeral Home in Newton.  A Facebook Live Broadcast will begin at 1:30 pm on the Pence Reese Funeral home and Cremation Services Facebook page.  A time of visitation with the family will be held from 6:00 pm until 7:30 pm Thursday, June 22^nd at the funeral home.  Memorials may be designated in Polly’s name. Please make checks payable to Donna Meador and may be left at the funeral home.

Polly, the daughter of Harold I. and Mildred L. (Shoemake) Talbot, was born March 12, 1932 in Newton.  She graduated from the Newton Senior High School with the Class of 1950. 

On November 25, 1951, Polly was united in marriage with Donald Malson in Newton. Over the years, Polly worked at Daisey Lunch Café, United Telephone, Days Inn, Newton Manufacturing and Newton Clinic.  She retired in 2000, after fifteen years with Wal-Mart as a bookkeeper and sales clerk.  She devoted her life to her family and loved to spend time with her grandchildren.  Polly was a member of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Newton and had served with the St. Nick’s Christmas Club for over 30 years.  She was a kind and warm hearted lady. She enjoyed knitting, reading and long walks.

Polly was preceded in death by her grandparents, Charles and Minnie Shoemake, who adopted and raised her when she was 11; her husband, Donald, on November 28, 1996; a great grandson, Domanic Xzavier Meador; sons-in-law, Andy Jones, Ron Coady and Danny Retman; a sister, Shirley, in infancy; her brothers, Robert Dean Talbot, Sr., Donny George Brady and Carol Talbot.

Those left to honor Polly’s memory include her family: daughter, Sandy (Ricky) McGee, grandson, Ryan McGee, granddaughter, Sarah McGee, great granddaughters, Gracie and Arielle, whom she lived with for many years; her daughters, Patricia A Coady, Cynthia (Terry) Gray; Donna (Dennis) Meador; her grandchildren, Michael Malson, Jennifer (Randy) Meador, Michelle (Bobby) DuBois, Adam (Sherry) Meador, Alan Meador, Alex Meador, Melissa (Todd) Bowers, Matthew Freeman, Heather Gray and Christa Gray; her fifteen great grandchildren; her three great-great granddaughters and three great-greats on-the-way; her sister, Phyllis Trotter; her half-brother, Keith Shoemake; her nieces and nephews, and her many friends.

The family would like to thank the staff of the Kavanaugh House, Dr. Richard Demming and the Missions Blood and Cancer Center for their love and care.