Mary A. Culbertson Mary Avanelle Culbertson of Indianola, Iowa passed away Friday, June 10 at Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines at the age of 72 years. Mary was born on April 12, 1939 to James Benjamin and Avanelle (Bryan) Snodgrass in Lucas County, Iowa. She was the baby in the family of three sons and three daughters. She attended school in Lucas County, and married Harold Lee Culbertson on September 3, 1955. At their last anniversary Mary and Harold celebrated 55 years of marriage. Mary and Harold began their married life in Des Moines, and then moved back to Lucas County to raise their family. The family lived near Lucas, before moving to Indianola in 1977. A lifelong homemaker, Mary thrived in her role as wife to Harold, mother to four children and grandma to eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Mary was defined by her great love of family. One of the ways she expressed it was by sharing her wonderful cooking skills at each gathering. Her special traditions included homemade chicken and noodles and butterscotch rolls at Christmas. Homemade ice cream was standard on birthdays, as well as at many summer family picnics. Grandma Mary loved babies, and she offered a special piece of her heart to each of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She shared her great love of reading stories, and one she enjoyed reading was Fire Cat, a favorite for overnight visits with Grandma. The girls will always treasure the porcelain dolls Grandma gave to them for each birthday, age one through 16. Mary made a living with her homemaking skills by working for the Larsen and Linnemeyer families in Indianola. She made an impact on those two families, retaining ongoing relationships with their children all the way through school and into their young adult years. Mary also treasured numerous lifelong friendships, especially the "Pepsi Club" ladies, who enjoyed their monthly social events, and supported each other through the highs and lows of life. Mary cherished the love of her siblings and their spouses, spending many occasions and trips with her brothers and sisters. Most recently, they traveled together to Phoenix, Arizona this past February. She is survived by her husband, Harold, of Indianola; children, Rick (Pamela) Culbertson of Des Moines, Chuck Culbertson of Chariton, Terri (Bradley) Sterk of Johnston, and Steve (Becky) Culbertson of Lee's Summit, Missouri; eight grandchildren, Megan and Jon Culbertson, Heather (Ross) Dix and Bret (Kristina) Culbertson, Jacob and Katie Sterk, and Lauren and Lindsay Culbertson; three great-grandchildren, Kaden, Roman and Makiya; three brothers, Jim (Helen), Gene (Geri) and Don Snodgrass; a sister, Maxine (Joe) Pennington; a brother-in-law, Kenneth Marker; and numerous nieces and nephews. Mary was preceded in death by her parents; her sister, Helen Marker; and her sister-in-law, Marilyn Snodgrass. Funeral services will be held 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, June 15 at Indianola Regular Baptist Church in Indianola with burial at Norwood Cemetery in Lucas County. Visitation will be held Tuesday, June 14 at Overton Funeral Home in Indianola from 4 to 8 p.m., with family present to greet friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Memorial contributions may be given in Mary's name to Indianola Regular Baptist Church in Indianola, IA. Online condolences may be made to www.overtonfunerals.com.