Marilyn M. Bents, 73

Marilyn M. Bents, 73, of Hampton, passed away Sunday, January 17, 2021, at Franklin General Hospital in Hampton.  She was born January 6, 1948, in Hampton, to Edmund and Arlene (Waddell) Meyer.

Marilyn attended country school and graduated from Hampton High School.  She then furthered her education at La James Cosmetology School in Mason City.  Marilyn was united in marriage to Terry Bents on November 29, 1969, at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Hampton.  She was a hairdresser and worked for several salons over the years, her first job being at Marguerite’s in Hampton.  Marilyn worked at First National Bank in Hampton, retiring in 2010.

Marilyn was a loyal member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Hampton, where she was also a member of the LWML and sewing committee.  She owned Hansell Mercantile with Corky Wolf and would travel near and far to go garage saling.  Marilyn was a part of numerous social groups.  Her and her classmates got together for coffee every other week at Rustic Brew.  She played cards with Beth Fink and was a part of the Hospital Auxiliary card club.  Marilyn enjoyed sewing and quilting.  She was a member of two Facebook groups, Quilty Pleasures and Loose Threads and would attend quilting retreats.  Marilyn recently taught her granddaughter how to quilt.  She loved reading and took great pride in supporting her local library.  If you needed her, often times she had a cat on her lap and a book in her hand.  Christmas was her favorite holiday and she enjoyed gardening and caring for her flowers in her backyard.  She also enjoyed watching her grandson’s sporting events, playing “school” and “office” with her granddaughter and taking family vacations to Sarasota, Florida.  Marilyn had two great loves in life - #1 her cats and #2 her grandchildren, James and Nataley.

Marilyn is survived by her husband Terry Bents of Hampton; daughter Amy (Dave) Perez of Hampton; grandson James Perez of Sheffield; granddaughter Nataley Perez of Hampton; sisters Elaine Meyer of Hampton and Lynette (Jay) Gartman of Waukee; nephew Kevin (Kelli) Gartman of Montezuma; brother-in-law Bill (Glenna) Bents of Ames; niece Jessica (Curtis) Odell of Princeton, Illinois and their children; nephew Jeremy (Katie) Bents of Boone and their children; sister-in-law Marji Smith of Jewett City, Connecticut and nephew Jeff (Analee) Smith of Jewett City, Connecticut and their children and grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, paternal and maternal grandparents.

Memorials may be directed to the Hampton Library, 4 S Federal St, Hampton, Iowa 50441.

Visitation was held from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m., Wednesday, January 20, 2021, at the Sietsema Vogel Funeral Home in Hampton.  Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m., Thursday, January 21, 2021, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Hampton.  Burial will take place in the Hampton Cemetery.

The Sietsema Vogel Funeral Home of Hampton assisted Marilyn's family.