Martha Freese

Martha Ann Freese, 91, of Grundy Center, Iowa, died January 10, 2014, at the Long Term Care Unit of the Grundy County Memorial Hospital, while under the care of Cedar Valley Hospice. Services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, January 14, at the United Methodist Church in Grundy Center. A private family committal service at Rose Hill Cemetery will be held prior to the memorial service. Visitation will held from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Monday, January 13, at the Engelkes-Abels Funeral in Grundy Center. Memorial may be directed to the family.
Martha was born February 20, 1922, in Clutier, Iowa, the daughter of James & Anna (Slatinka) Cech. She attended school in Clutier and Traer, and graduated from Grundy Center High School in 1940. After graduation, she worked for her parents at Cech's Grocery in Grundy Center and then worked at the grocery again from 1961-1979.
Martha married Paul A. Thoren on April 25, 1944 at Nashua, Iowa. The couple had 3 children. Paul died on October 7, 1961, in a boating accident in Guttenburg, Iowa.
On December 26, 1971, Martha married Edward E. Freese at the United Methodist Church in Grundy Center, Iowa. Ed died on March 20, 2013.
Martha was a member of the United Methodist Church and the American Legion Auxiliary. She liked to visit with friends and relatives. She especially enjoyed spending time with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Martha is survived by two daughters, Carol Kruger of Hubbard, Iowa and Jan (Dean) Meyer of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; one son, Randall (Jean) Thoren of Grundy Center; seven grandchildren; ten great-grandchildren; and a brother James Cech of Winter Park, Florida.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husbands Paul Thoren and Edward Freese, son-in-law Arlen Kruger, sister-in-law Shirley Cech, and step-brother Paul Babinate and his wife Minda