Molly Brant
Molly Brant, 96, of Anthon, Iowa, passed away on Monday, December 26, 2016 at Correctionville Specialty Care of Correctionville, Iowa.
A funeral service was held at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, January 2, 2017 at the United Methodist Church of Anthon, Iowa. Rev. Sheryl K. Ashley officiated, with interment following in the Oak Hill Cemetery of Anthon, Iowa.
The Armstrong-Van Houten Funeral Home of Anthon, Iowa is in charge of the funeral arrangements. Condolences may be sent online to www.armstrongfuneral.com.
Molly Edna Myers was born December 23, 1920 in Akron, Colorado. She was the third of seven children born to Raleigh J. and Avilla Margarete (Gorman) Meyers. Her mother died when Molly was nine, leaving five children under the age of ten.
Molly graduated from Lindon Colorado High School in 1938. She cared for her siblings on their farm near Anton, Colorado until May 1940, when the family split up.
Her brothers, Bob and John, went into the military. Molly, with her sister Jean and her brother George, moved to Anthon, Iowa to live with their aunt, Bess (Robert) Myers. Her father Raleigh moved to Washington.
Molly married Vern Brant on February 14, 1941 in the Methodist parsonage in Anthon. They spent their entire married life on a farm four miles east of Anthon, where Vern had lived since infancy.
They had three daughters: Alene, Shirley and Linda. They retired from farming in 1994 but continued to live on the farm, which was named a Century Farm in 1995.
Molly was an active farmer, doing field work and animal chores as well as raising large gardens.
From 2006 to 2011, Molly made her home with her daughter Shirley and her son-in-law, Roger Nelson. In 2011 she moved to the Correctionville Rehab facility.
She was a member of the First Methodist Church of Anthon, and she enjoyed senior meals with friends at the Anthon Community Center.
Her hobbies included embroidery and knitting afghans. She enjoyed having her grandchildren visit, and she always had a cookie jar full of cookies for them.
Survivors include three daughters: Alene Johnson and friend Darrel Boettger of Sioux City; Shirley and Roger Nelson of Anthon; and Linda Brant and Murray Harris of Charles City; a sister, Jean Ereth of Tacoma, Washington; a brother, John Myers of San Jose, California; 7 grandchildren: Marvin (Jane) Keitges of Jackson, Nebraska; Joe (Jennifer) Keitges of Ames, Iowa; Nancy (Toby) Straight, of Moncks Corner, South Carolina; Mark (Dixie) Nelson & Wade Nelson of Anthon; Rebecca (David) Mogensen of Sioux City, and Tony (Dezeri) Nelson of Lawton; 17 great-grandchildren; and 9 great-great grandchildren, with one on the way.
Molly was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Vern in 1996; four brothers: Francis, Merritt, Bob, and George Myers; and a grandson, Paul Keitges.
