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Joyce Louise Mason passed away on August 7, 2025, at the Clarke County Hospital, Osceola, Iowa. She was 90 years old.
Louise was born October 18,1934 at home on the Grand River, Decatur County, IA. Her parents, Lyle Vern Hembry and Ruby “Hazel” Foland, were married on December 25, 1929 at the Methodist Church, Leon, IA. Louise was the first of four children to their union. She was followed by Linda Lee, Betty Ann, and Frederick Lyle (Freddie).
Her whole life, Louise was a voracious reader from the time she first learned to read. Reading would be one of the joys of her life.
She attended country school in Terre Haute, Decatur County, through eighth grade. Louise loved her country school, the community, and friends in Terre Haute. She attended Leon High School her freshman year. Louise loved going to LHS, cheerleading, and had many close friends in the class of 1953. She boarded in Leon for her first two years of high school as the road to Terre Haute was dirt and impassable at times. Her parents would drive to Leon on Friday to pick her up and drive her back on Sunday for the school week. This continued until the roads were improved and she was able to stay at home.
In 1953, Louise followed her parents to Chariton and began working for the “new” Hy-Vee operation in the accounting dept. It was in Chariton she met Daniel “Bud” Martley, introduced by family friends. Shortly after, Bud joined the Army and was shipped to the Panama Canal, but they remained in contact. While on leave, Bud and Louise were married on February 24,1955, in Russell, Iowa. Upon his discharge, Bud and Louise began farming in Confidence, IA (now under water at Lake Rathbun) near Bud’s parents, Peggy Eloise and Lee Martley. When their first child, Danny Lee Martley was born in 1957 they moved to Humeston and Bud opened an Allis Chalmers Implement business with Lee. In Humeston, their second child, Debra Lynn Martley, was born in 1959. With a love for farming, Bud and Louise bought a farm near Humeston in 1962. They continued farming until Bud was killed in a car accident just a few miles from their home on July 2, 1965, at the age of 31.
After Bud’s death, Louise worked part-time at the Wayne Community Schools as a teacher’s aide and continued the farm. Farming had challenges for a single woman in 1966, she decided to better support her children she would go to college. She attended Northwest Missouri State and later transferred to Drake University finishing her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. Louise completed her master’s degree at Drake a few years later. Louise began teaching at Clarke Community Schools as a second-grade teacher in 1969. Louise married Robert “Bob/Butch” Mason, February 20, 1971 at the Christian Church in Osceola. Both were teachers at Clarke. Their newly blended family gave them four teenagers: Deb Martley, Bobby Mason, Dan Martley, and Denny Mason.
Bob was the Science/Chemistry/Physics teacher, varsity football, and girls’ basketball coach. He retired as Middle School Principal. Louise continued teaching second grade and later Special Education/Learning Disabilities. In 1984, she became Teacher/Principal at Weldon School until it closed in1994 and she retired. Her years in Weldon were some of her most enjoyable years in education. Louise and Bob made many lifelong friends through their years in education and sports.During their 27-year marriage, their kids’ school activities and sports were a big part of their lives traveling to games. They enjoyed being members of the Osceola Eagles. They were blessed to be able to travel, visiting children and grandchildren in Davenport, IA, North Carolina, South Carolina, California, and England. Upon Louise’s retirement they took a trip they had always wanted to the Hawaiian Islands and loved it.
In 1998, they began planning and building a new home completed in 1999. Bob passed away unexpectedly on February 20,1999, on his 70th birthday and their 27th wedding anniversary, just a few months after they moved into their new home. She was always grateful for five years of retirement they had together and the home they built.
In spring of 1999, as she was trying to landscape their new home, she found a passion for gardening. She won an award for the “most beautiful” garden from the City of Osceola a few years later. Gardening didn’t keep her busy enough and in 2001, she accepted a part-time librarian position at the Osceola Public Library where she would stay for 18 years. She enjoyed her work at the library, meeting new people, and encouraging reading. In 2019, she retired for the second time at age 84, to stay home and work in her flower garden and read.Louise filled her retired life with her work at the library, her coffee group and good friends. They took many “adventurous” day trips together and she took many bus tours with friends from the Corydon area over the years, including a trip to NYC and Niagara Falls with her friends and daughter. She enjoyed community involvement in CARSPA, TOPS, Clarke County Hospital Auxiliary, Doll Collector’s Club, Clarke Co. Historical Society, and many more. She loved exploring genealogy and family history.
In later years, Louise suffered from Macular Degeneration which greatly impacted her ability to read and eventually see. One of her hardest struggles in life was her deteriorating eyesight and the loss of her passion, reading.
Louise’s greatest love was her family. Her parents held Sunday dinners regularly as her children grew up. After her parents passed, Louise became the matriarch of the family and hosted a lot of family holidays and special occasions. Like her mother, Louise was a wonderful cook, and kids, grandkids, nieces, and nephews all have a favorite dish she made. Her entire family has fond memories of gatherings at Bob and “Aunt Louie’s” house. Her family will always remember her wonderful cooking and her beautiful garden, but she will be most remembered for how much she loved and cared for the entire family.
Those loved ones that proceeded Louise in death were: Parents, Lyle and Hazel Hembry, Osceola; sister, Linda Lee Hembry at age 12; Betty Ann (Hembry) Palmer and brother-in-law, Robert “Bob” Palmer; brother, Frederick Lyle (Fred) Hembry.Husband, Daniel “Bud” Martley, Humeston; mother and father-in-law, Peggy and Lee Martley, Humeston; sister-in-law, June (Martley) Beckon Head; brother-in-law, Joe Beckon; brother-in-law, Larry Martley; sister-in-law, Barbara (Bonnie) Martley; niece, Linda Teichroew.
Husband, Robert “Bob/Butch” Mason, Osceola; mother and father-in-law, Clara and Urban Mason, Osceola; sisters-in-laws, Vivian (Mason) Sidebottom, Doris (Mason) Weld, Marcella (Mason) Stressner; brother-in-law, Alfred and wife Bessie (Stark) Mason; daughter-in-law, Vicki Sue Mason; niece, Terri Stressner.
Those left to cherish her memory, sister-in-law Cheryl (Fred) Hembry, Emerson, IA; and children, Deb (Mark) Yorba of Osceola; Dan Martley of Davenport, IA; Bob (Sandy) Mason of Osceola; Dennis (Donna) Mason of Sanford, NC. Grandchildren, Dustin (Christina) Dubberke of Mentone, CA; Tiffany Lyon and partner Scott of Mentone, CA; Joey (Kendyl) Yorba of Draper, UT; Jessica (Paul) Nason of Denver, CO; Katie Martley of Bettendorf, IA; Nicole Martley of Bettendorf; Matthew Mason of South Des Moines, IA; Bobby (Samantha) Mason of Waukee, IA; Jennifer (Mark) Mashburn of Sanford, NC; Gary Mason of NC; great-grandchildren, Haylee Lyon; Penny Yorba and Porter Yorba; Donovin Caliguiri; Isabella Fisher; Bryce Mason and Pierce Mason; Kasie Roberts and Dallas Roberts; Dylan Mashburn and Madison Mashburn; along with many nieces, nephews, cousins, family, and dear lifelong friends.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, October 18, 2025, at the East Lake Event Center in Osceola, Iowa at 1 p.m. followed by lunch at 2 p.m. Family, friends, former students, and community members are welcome to join the celebration of Louise’s life.
Pastor Chuck DeVos will conduct a Memorial Service outside, weather permitting, prior to lunch. Dress is casual and colorful. Please bring a jacket or sweater, it can be cool in the building.
In lieu of flowers, please direct memorial contributions in Louise’s name to the Osceola Public Library or The American Macular Degeneration Foundation (AMDF). Memorials may be left with at the Celebration or sent to the family for delivery to Louise’s chosen organizations.