Florence Catherine (Marron) Seda

Florence Catherine (Marron) Seda was born on her grandparents’ farm in Jackson Junction, Iowa, on May 4, 1932, the daughter of Harry and Mildred (Flynn) Marron. Her family lived for four years in Mason City and four years in Des Moines where she started school at St. John’s.

In 1939, the family moved back to the farm and she attended school at Jackson Junction No. 9 and then Saint Mary’s in Waucoma. In 1950, she graduated from Waucoma High School and then entered Mercy Hospital School of Nursing in Cedar Rapids. Upon graduation in 1953, she then worked at Schoitz Hospital in Waterloo and became head nurse in pediatrics.

On August 21, 1954, she married Marvin Seda at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Waucoma, Iowa. They were blessed with 5 sons: Kennan, of Traer; Dr. Steven (Mehran), of Zurich, Switzerland; William (Marla), of Traer; Father Jon, of Cedar Rapids, and Thomas, of Traer.

Marvin and Florence lived in Traer in a veterans housing project known as the “barracks” until 1958 when they moved to the Seda family farm north of Traer when Marvin’s parents moved to town. They raised their family on the farm until they moved to Traer in 1990. She was especially supportive of her sons’ activities in school at North Tama, Iowa State, and Loras. Outside of school she was a Cub Scout Den Mother and a member of the American Legion Auxiliary in Traer. She was known to have slept in the back of the family station wagon during the Iowa State Fair when the boys showed hogs. At St. Paul’s Parish, she taught CCD classes, was past president and treasurer of the Saint Paul Rosary Society, helped plan funeral dinners for many years and was head of the parish council during the planning and construction of the parish hall addition in 2002. She was elected as a write-in candidate to the North Tama County Community School Board where she served for 13 years. She was appointed by the governor as a charter member of the Iowa Commission of Children, Youth and Families for six years. She served on the Child Care Committee of the Commission for six years, being co-chairman for the last five years.

As a registered nurse, she worked for Dr. Linthacum in Dysart and at the new North Tama Medical Clinic in Traer when it opened in 1976. She also worked as a part-time night nurse at Sunrise Hill Care Center for 22 years. Her hobby was researching and writing the family history. She visited her ancestor’s homelands of Ireland and Luxembourg.

She died of natural causes on Thursday, January 26, 2023, at Sunrise Hill Care Center where she had resided since November of 2019.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband (July 28, 2012), three sisters: Joyce McEnany, of Cedar Rapids, Judy Mick, of Palo, Mary Irwin, of Iowa City, and a brother, David Marron, of Twin Falls, Idaho. Brothers-in-law: Clarence McEnany, Charles R. “Bob” Mick, Ben Irwin and Don Heapy, of Fort Walton Beach, Florida, along with a sister-in-law: Nancy Marron.

Besides her five sons and two daughters-in-law, she is survived by her five grandchildren: Mark Seda, of Hudson (Keri Wells, fiancée), Nora (Joe) Krieger, of Altoona, Brian (Katie) Seda, of Greenfield, Indiana, Diane Seda and David Seda, of Zurich, Switzerland. She was looking forward to meeting her first great granddaughter, Sloane Seda who Brian and Katie are expecting in April. Florence is also survived by two sisters-in-law: Bette Heapy, of Fort Walton Beach, Florida, and Juanita Marron, of Twin Falls, Idaho. She was a beloved aunt to many nieces and nephews and their families.

The family would like to express their sincere appreciation to the Sunrise Hill staff for their loving care of Florence. The family requests that memorials be directed to the family.

The visitation was on Thursday, February 2, 2023, from 4 to 7 PM, at St. Paul Catholic Church in Traer, with a Rosary Service at 7:00 PM. Mass of Christian Burial will be on Friday, February 3, 2023, at 11:00 AM, at St. Paul Catholic Church. The burial will follow in the church cemetery.