Wanda Chinn

Wanda Chinn, 91, of Marshalltown, died Monday, May 21st, at the Grandview Heights Nursing Home, while in care of the Iowa River Hospice. Funeral services and a celebration of her life will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, May 25th at the First Presbyterian Church with Dr. Rich King officiating. She will be laid to rest in the Riverside Cemetery. Friends may call at the Mitchell Family Funeral Home from 6-8:00 p.m. on Thursday. A memorial fund is being established. For condolences, please visit www.mitchellfh.com. The Mitchell Family Funeral Home is caring for Wanda and her family. Ph 844-1234. Born Wanda Lucille Groff on May 29th, 1915, at Laurel, Iowa, she was the daughter of Benjamin A. and Zelma D. (Halverson) Groff. At a young age, her family moved to Saskatoon, Canada and she assisted with raising her siblings and taking them to school by horse, buggy and sleigh. She received much of her education in the area of her birth, played girls basketball for the Laurel Schools and was named an All-State basketball forward. The Des Moines Register nicknamed her Wanda the Whiz for her skills. She graduated from the Laurel High School. On June 2nd, 1937, at the family home in North 1st Street in Marshalltown, she was united in marriage to Gilbert Chinn. They made Marshalltown their home all of their married lives where she was employed at Fisher Controls and Marshalltown Instruments until retiring in 1978. She and Gilbert lived at their home at 1306 South 3rd Avenue and following his death, she moved to the Embers until May of 2004 when she became part of the Glenwood Place family. Mrs. Chinn was an active member of the First Baptist Church, the Entre Nous, Builders Sunday School Class and the Christian Womens Club and the MMSC Womens Auxiliary especially heading up the Chicken Pot Pie sales for three years. She enjoyed sports, basketball, bowling (had a 120 average at age 80), directing the Kitchen Band at the Embers, singing and treasured her family. She will be remembered for steadfast faith, hardworking attitude and accomplishment as the fastest gauge setter at Marshalltown Instruments, and generosity. Left to mourn her loss are her daughters, Charlene (Roger) McGrew of Marshalltown and Lynda Patty (Mr. Kim Noren) of Golden Valley, MN., six grandchildren and their families: Kelly (Dale) Renner of Weston, MA and their children Dan, Lissa and Jack, Ann (Greg) Carlson of Overland Park, Kansas and children Mitch and Chad, Kristen (Jay) Durand of Killingly, CT. and son Austin Charette, Janet (Tim) Fienup of Marshalltown and children Keely and Paul, the late Sherry Runge s children Grant, Meghan and Sydney of Marshalltown and Linda (Ron) Kauffman of Marshalltown and their children Felicia and Caroline, nieces, nephews and a host of friends. In death she has rejoined her parents, her husband Gilbert who died on October 21, 1995, brothers Ernest, Lamar and Leonard Groff, granddaughter Sherry Runge and sister Maxine Paul.