James "Marty" Middleswart, 78, of Indianola, IA, passed away Tuesday, December 15, 2020, in Des Moines, IA.  Funeral Mass will be held on Tuesday, December 22, 2020 at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Indianola with visitation held one hour prior to service. Face coverings are required. You may join the family on our Livestream beginning at 10:30 a.m. on Marty's obituary page of Overton Funeral Home's website. Burial will be in the St. John's Cemetery, Cumming, IA.

Marty was born on December 4, 1942 to George and Norma (Wickett) Middleswart. He married Kay Barry on January 13, 1962 and they made their home in Indianola where they raised three children: Mike, Dave, and Sheila. Marty was a tractor tire builder at Armstrong Tire and a strong union member for over 25 years. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus and one of the founders of the Knights Friday Fish Fry at St. Thomas Aquinas in Indianola.

Marty and Kay looked forward to spending their summers camping and they especially enjoyed camping at the Iowa State Fair, making many friends over the years. They spent their winters in Wellton, AZ, where they helped to start a Bible Study at St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church, where they also made many new friends. Marty enjoyed spending time with his family and supporting his grandchildren at events. If you talked to him very long, you would hear about his kids and grandkids. Marty's famous hot buns and fudge were the highlight of family gatherings.

Marty was well known for his quick wit and sense of humor. His wild stories – sometimes true, often embellished – were always entertaining and sure to leave the room full of laughter. He had a joke for everyone he met and turned strangers into friends. Marty always made an entrance and had the ability to capture the attention of everyone in the room.

He is survived by his wife, Kay; children, Mike (Ellen) Middleswart of Urbandale, IA, Dave (Diane) Middleswart of Cumming, IA, Sheila (Steve Klask) Middleswart of Cumming, GA; six grandchildren, Hannah (Matt) Middleswart, Shannon (Kyle) Middleswart, Tyler (Erica) Middleswart, Casey Middleswart, Parker Middleswart and Kylie Klask; one great-granddaughter on the way; siblings, Marilyn (Bill) McMullin, Dennis (Ginny) Middleswart, Gary (Lee) Middleswart, Tom (Melissa) Middleswart, Kevin (Delpha) Middleswart, Rick (Julie Wheeler) Middleswart. He is preceded in death by his parents, George and Norma Middleswart; sister-in-law, Patty Middleswart; and brothers-in-law, Bob Barry and Don Callahan.

In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be given to the St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in his name.