MaryAnn Freeland, 90, passed away on February 25, 2025, at Altoona Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.

A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, March 3, 2025, at Memorial Services of Iowa (4208 N. Ankeny Blvd, Ankeny, IA) with visitation one hour prior to service time. Burial will follow the service at Ankeny Memorial Gardens.

MaryAnn was born on January 29, 1935, in Ankeny, Iowa. She was a graduate of Ankeny High School in 1953.

MaryAnn was a beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great-grandmother. She had a strong faith in Christ and held onto her beliefs throughout her life. She was a member of The Well Covenant Church in Des Moines.

MaryAnn held many important jobs, working at many bakeries, Porter’s Hardware, and driving school buses. She was a dedicated school bus driver for Southeast Polk for 53 years. She took great pride in safely guiding generations of students to and from school. She enjoyed seeing generations of students grow up, often transporting not only them but later their children, creating lasting connections through her years behind the wheel.

MaryAnn had a love for many simple things that people often remembered. She had a strong love for giraffes, the color purple, Hawaii, Gilmore Girls, and chocolate fudge. She was committed to donating blood and plasma to LifeServe, where she donated 53 gallons of blood in her lifetime. She was a member of Women on Wheels motorcycle club for many years. The simple joys of life brought her happiness and made her memorable to those who knew her.

Left to cherish her memories are her children: Debbie (Dave) Waltz, Jodi (Harold) Capps, and Tom Freeland; eight grandchildren, twenty-one great-grandchildren, five great-great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

MaryAnn was preceded in death by her parents, Robert and Hazel Fitchett; her siblings, Harold Fitchett, Margaret Mann, Marie Stuber, and Bob Fitchett; her children, Steve Freeland and Linda Fitchett; and her husbands, Stanley Freeland and Thomas Bragg.

Visitation & Memorial Service

Mar

3

Memorial Services of Iowa

4208 North Ankeny Blvd
Ankeny, IA 50023

1:00 PM - 3:00 PM