Myrna Jean Carley

Myrna Carley, 88, of Carson, passed away at her residence on January 11, 2015. Funeral services will be 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 17, 2015 at the Carson United Methodist Church with Reverend Brody Tubaugh officiating. Visitation will be from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Friday, January 16, 2015 at the Loess Hills Funeral Home in Carson. Interment will be in the Carson Cemetery.

Memorials: Carson United Methodist Church or Botna Valley Genealogical Society

Myrna Jean (Toland) Carley was born to Verne B. and Mildred Grace (Kennedy) Toland in Ringgold County, Iowa on March 12, 1926. Her family moved to Wheeler Grove Township later where she attended a country school. Myrna was baptized at Wheeler Grove Methodist Church. In 1933, her father was injured while helping a neighbor cut a tree. After it was determined, he would not be able to walk again; they moved the family to her grandparents, Grace and Oliver Kennedy's farm at the intersection of Highways 92 and 59. There she continued her education graduating from Carson High School in 1943. Upon graduation, she worked for Berry Seed Company in Clarinda. Her first job was counting seeds and putting them in packets and later she filled orders. (Now who else can truthfully say that their mother was a "bean counter"?). She married Ernest Brown Carley on July 24, 1944 in Troy, Kansas and they lived near Macedonia for several years while he worked for farmers. In 1946 they had daughter, Marilyn Marie, who was joined by son, Ernest Brown, II in 1947 and a daughter, Jean Ellen in 1948. When Myrna's step-dad needed help farming, in 1950 they moved to Prescott to help and a year later onto the Farris Farm a mile west. Myrna kept a large flock of chickens, candling and grading the eggs before selling them. She also gardened putting up a variety of vegetables, fruit and canning beef and pork at butchering time. The farm at Corning had a large orchard and when asked once about how many cherry trees she had, she replied "10,000 thousand". The work was rewarding and the table always full of delicious food. Myrna loved to cook and would listen to KMA every day as Lucille Dickmeier and Florence Falk filled the airwaves with new recipes to try. Myrna left a handwritten book of those recipes as well as many collected volumes of recipes from their neighbors, churches and their travels. Ernest and Myrna played bridge or pinochle cards with other couples nearly every Saturday night and there we tasted many experimental recipes. Myrna also helped milk the growing Brown Swiss herd and made her own butter. There the Carley children began attending Corning Schools. A terrible snow storm hit one winter and they were snowed in for six weeks. They couldn't send their milk or eggs to market and ran out of flour and sugar, so they began having eggs and milk fixed different ways for all three meals during the snow-bound road closure. After that she always kept extra sugar and flour in the pantry. In 1955(6), Ernest found a farm northwest of Oakland and the family moved closer to both families. In 1957 the family sold their farming stock and equipment and moved to Griswold where Ernest had found a welding/foundry job. Myrna also worked in several restaurants while at Griswold and worked at the Atlantic Farm Bureau Office. Myrna sewed many dresses for the girls over the years and when Marilyn left for college, she had five new dresses in her suitcase. Myrna took up the hobby of leather crafting and enjoyed making key rings, purses and billfolds. As the children got older, Myrna was able to be active in Eastern Star, Rebekah and Pythian Sister Lodges. Myrna grew many "peace" roses and hybrid iris bulbs as well as African violets which covered 2 windows. So all year long she could have a flower readily available. After the children left home, they began looking for a place nearer Ernest's job in Council Bluffs. They moved into Carson in 1966 and enjoyed being back where they grew up. Myrna then took a job at Schneider Furniture Company sewing many upholstery cushions and making chairs and couches. Ernest and Myrna took square dancing lessons and danced many a night away. Myrna joined with others interested in genealogy and helped form the Botna Valley Genealogical Society, being one of the charter members. One of her most memorable trips was to Salt Lake City's Mormon genealogy library where genealogy information was available for her to extend her research. Myrna has also helped with the Nishna Heritage Museum at Oakland and still has some items on display. In her last few years, she learned to knit and spent many hours making colorful items for her family. Myrna loved auctions all her life and her home reflects the antiques she cherished from family and area auctions.

Myrna passed away on January 11, 2015 at her Carson home at the age of 88 years, 9 months, and 29 days. Predeceasing her are her parents, Verne B. Toland and Mildred (Kennedy) Toland Farris, her sister, Leta Marilyn (Toland) Shamblen, her son, Ernest Brown Carley, II and a grandson, Jacob Carley.

Left to celebrate her life are her husband, Ernest Brown Carley of Carson; daughters, Marilyn and husband, Jerry Hart of Osceola, MO and Jeanie and husband, Gary Moore of Pensacola, FL and grandchildren: Troy Hart, Michael Hart, Jennifer Amieva, Chasatee Stotts, Brian Moore and Brittany Curtis. Also surviving are great-grandchildren: Abby Hart, Elizabeth Hart, Kaiser Hart, Kira Hart, Erich Mitchell, Hailie Amieva and Alex Amieva.