Mary Ellen Moreland Quandt, the daughter of Samuel J and Edith Iola (Johnson) Ross, was born December 9, 1920, in Cameron Township, Audubon County, Iowa and died August 11, 2020, at the Audubon County Memorial Hospital in Audubon, Iowa at the age of 99 years, 8 months, and 2 days.
She attended rural school, Cameron #9 through the 8th grade. At age 16, she graduated from the Audubon High School with the Class of 1937 with a rural school teaching certificate that would not be valid until she became 18 years old. On June 4, 1939, she was united in marriage to Lawrence “Ted” Duane Moreland in Spirit Lake, Iowa, and to this union six children were born. They made their home in Audubon, and she was employed at the Audubon Bakery and the Dime Store part time. In April of 1947, they made their home northeast of Audubon where she helped Ted work on the farm and raise their children. Ted died on December 27, 1972.
On August 3, 1975, she was united in marriage to Reverend Harvey G. Quandt in Audubon, Iowa. They made their home in Glenwood, Iowa for five years before retiring in 1980 and returning to Audubon. Mary Ellen and Harvey enjoyed traveling the United States, Canada, Mexico and England in their retirement. Harvey died October 12, 2002.
Mary Ellen was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Audubon and served on several committees throughout the years at the church. She touched and transformed many lives. She loved God and transferred His love to many in her church, family, and community.
Preceding her in death were her husbands, Lawrence “Ted” D. Moreland and Reverend Harvey G. Quandt; her parents; her daughter, Alice Mary May; her daughter-in-law, Patricia Moreland; and her brother, George and wife Virginia Ross.
Survivors include her children: Paul Moreland of West Des Moines, Iowa; David and wife Catherine Moreland of Smithsburg, Maryland; Jane Ann Wyckoff of Cedar Falls, Iowa; Rosalee and husband Keith Christiansen of Blair, Nebraska; and Mark Moreland of Dallesport, Washington; her son-in-law, Stephen May of Audubon; her grandchildren: Ross and wife Lori Moreland, Tara Jackson, Cameron and wife Lisa Moreland, Lindsey and husband Luke Schreiber, Joan and husband Paul Bundy, Janell and husband Mark Remsburg, Nichole and husband Ryan Onken, Timothy and wife Christina Wyckoff, Barbara Ryan, Curtis Wyckoff, Jay Christiansen, Marie and husband Bryant Mock, Luke and wife Heather Christiansen, Stephanie Brown and fiancé Ryan Workman, Bailey and husband Aaron Hanson, Kobie and husband Jorge Guzman, and Ted and wife Shahayla Moreland; her step grandchildren: Kris and husband Jeff Burk, Timothy and wife Julie Quandt, MacAdam and wife Natasha Smith, and Richard “Rocky” and wife Jordan Smith; 37 great-grandchildren; 1 great-great-granddaughter; as well as nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
There will be an open visitation held on Friday, August 21, 2020, from 1:00 P.M. until 7:00 P.M. at the Kessler Funeral Home in Audubon. The family may not be present during the open visitation. There will be a Private Family Funeral Service held at the Kessler Funeral Home in Audubon with Pastor David Kroeker officiating. A Celebration of Life Memorial Service will be held at a later date at the First United Methodist Church in Audubon. Inurnment will be in the Arlington Heights Cemetery in Audubon at a later time. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the First United Methodist Church in Audubon, Iowa.
Mary Ellen’s funeral service will be livestreamed on our Facebook page at KESSLER FUNERAL HOMES INC on Saturday, August 22, 2020, at 4:00 P.M. To get to our Facebook page, log into your Facebook account (you will need one to view the service), search for and navigate to the KESSLER FUNERAL HOMES INC. Facebook page and at the time the service goes live, it will populate in our timeline. You may also scroll to the bottom of our homepage at www.kesslerfuneralhomes.com page and click the Facebook logo to be taken directly to our page. If you experience difficulties viewing the broadcast at the time of the service, the recording will remain on our Facebook page for additional viewing opportunities.
