Lana Maring Woodside passed away October 30, 2022 at St. Francis Manor in Grinnell, IA.

A private family remembrance will be held at a future date.

Lana Jean Maring was born on April 15, 1952 in Grinnell, IA to Robert (Bob) and Leila (Limbaugh) Maring. The oldest of 3 children, she was raised on the family farm. She was a voracious reader; her favorite books were the KJV Bible and The Velveteen Rabbit. She also enjoyed studying language, anything to do with numbers, crossword puzzles, and baking (especially for others!) Living on the farm allowed her to develop her lifelong passion for cats; she raised many of them in her life and each had a special place in her heart.

She graduated from Grinnell High School with the class of 1970. She then studied at Grinnell College and eventually transferred to the University of Iowa where she studied Speech Pathology and Audiology. She received her Bachelor's degree in SP/L from UI, Iowa City, IA in 1975 and then went to obtain a masters degree in SP/L in 1976 from North East Missouri State University, Kirksville, MO.

Armed with two degrees, she started her professional working life as a speech clinician in the Grinnell Public School System and then moved to Milwaukee, WI where she also worked as a speech clinician in the Milwaukee Public School System (quite a change from Grinnell school environment!!) Later, she returned to Grinnell and finished up her working life as an employee at the GTE Telephone Company.

Lana is survived by her mother Leila Maring; her sister Linda (Ron) Griswold of Galesburg, IL; her brother Chuck (Lynn) Maring of Mt. Vernon, MO as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. She was preceded in death by her father, Bob and both sets of her maternal and paternal grandparents.

In lieu of flowers, any memorials may be made to Grinnell Unity Point Hospice and mailed in care of the Smith Funeral Home, PO Box 368, Grinnell, IA 50112.