January 02, 2025

Mary Ellen Kimball

Osceola

Mary Ellen and Dr. Jim Kimball

Mary Ellen Foss Kimball, 83, of Osceola, died on December 20, 2024. She was born Mary Ellen Foss in LeMars, to Flora Mary Clapp Foss and Dr. Robert Harvey Foss on November 17, 1941. She graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1957 and attended the University of Iowa College of Nursing (’61) where she was a proud member of Delta Gamma Tau Chapter. She attended Drake University’s College of Fine Arts and received her Bachelor degree in Fine Arts from Graceland University (’75) and her Masters in Journalism and Mass Communications from Drake (’87).

She worked in public relations for many entities including Charter Community Hospital and Iowa Bankers Trust and owned her own private firm that provided services to non-profit organizations. She was inducted into the Public Relation’s Society of America’s Counselor’s Academy in 1998 for her professional achievements. She served on the art faculty at Graceland University and the public relations and marketing faculty at Southwestern Community College. She devoted her career to promoting and supporting anyone and anything she was passionate about.

Mary Ellen celebrated and was celebrated by everyone she came into contact with, whether family or friend. She was married to Dr. James David Kimball on March 2, 1963.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband Jim (December 17, 2024).

She is survived by her sons Jeffrey Deur Kimball (Eva) of Budapest, Hungary and Dr. Joseph McPherson Kimball (Dr. Amy) of Winterset; sister Sally Ann Foss Reavely (Tom) of Norwalk, and brother Dr. Robert (Bob) Eugene Foss (Lisa) of Van Meter; grandchildren David Nicholas Kimball (Danielle) of Temple, TX, Dr. Anna Krisztina Kimball of Budapest, Hungary, Jackson McPherson Kimball and Madeline Rae Kimball of Winterset; great-grandchildren Samuel James Kimball, Panni Horvath-Kimball and step-great grandchildren Bridget and Sydney, many adored nieces, nephews, great-nieces and nephews, as well as countless amazing and dear friends she considered family.

Mary Ellen was passionate about visual and performing arts and culture and devoted her time to teaching, promoting, serving on countless boards, performing and creating art for the benefit of her community, Iowa, and the world. The list of organizations she supported, served through and helped charter could comprise a novel. She was instrumental in the Iowa Arts Council and founded the Clarke County Area Arts Council in 1971. She chaired the Iowa Cultural Trust and was honored with the Governor’s Award for Promotion of the Arts and the Arts Legacy Award. She impacted the performance art community with her involvement in the Iowa Stage Theatre Company, Des Moines Metro Opera, Ballet Iowa, the Tallgrass Theatre Company, and the Des Moines Playhouse.

Mary Ellen summed up her own passion for the arts when she wrote “I believe the arts are essential; they are not an option. They have a role to play in ... attracting and retaining people, building our economy, welcoming diversity and providing a better lifestyle.” Her creativity and boundless energy resulted in multiple theatre productions, publications, paintings, sculptures, prints, and pottery pieces that grace family and friends homes, collections throughout the country, and have benefited Clarke County and Iowa.

When she wasn’t creating or promoting the arts, she could be found flying her Cessna 150 solo, with her husband Jim and family, or sharing her joy of flight with countless youth through the Girls in Aviation, Young Eagles, and Clarke County Youth in Aviation programs. She was dedicated to making Clarke County and Osceola a vibrant community and spearheaded or supported numerous events, programs, art installations, exhibits, and scholarships to accomplish her goal. Her lasting impact for beautifying can be witnessed by the Warrior Osceola sculpture at the entrance to Osceola, the Van Duzer water fountain/sculpture at Clarke County Hospital, the Mural adjacent to Fareway, and the Art Gallery at Lakeside Casino. Her art event reports and support of stations JC 106.9 and KSOI-91.9 FM radio assured that south central Iowa stayed informed and could benefit from these celebrations.

Mary Ellen extended her talents and time to the State of Iowa as well through her service on multiple commissions, boards, and committees for organizations including Blank Park Zoo, PEO, Iowa Public Television, Main Street Iowa, Children and Families of Iowa, Iowa Aviation Promotion Group, and the South Central Iowa Community Foundation and South Central Iowa Theatre to name a very few. Mary Ellen was repeatedly recognized for her achievements, and improving Iowan’s lives through the arts and her contributions to others. When she was celebrated as the Iowan of the Day at the 2010 Iowa State Fair, she was perfectly described as “brightening the lives around her, working to make Iowa shine and radiating the true meaning of being an Iowan.”