Mary Ellen Zublis

Mary Ellen Zublis (Hamman), age 86, passed away peacefully on September 22, 2026, at Hillcrest Healthcare in Hawarden, Iowa.

A celebration of life will be planned for a future date. Porter Funeral Home In Hawarden is assisting the family.

Mary was born on April 16, 1940, in Akron, Iowa, to Arnold and Ada (Rosenbaum) Hamman, Mary Ellen grew up surrounded by the farmland and tight-knit community of rural Northwest Iowa. Throughout her life, she called many places home—including McCook Lake, South Dakota, Huron, South Dakota, North Sioux City, South Dakota, and Keota, Oklahoma—making fond memories and lasting friends in each community along the way.

To know Mary Ellen was to love her. Quick-witted, wonderfully mischievous, and full of character, she brought light and a touch of humor everywhere she went. She found her greatest joys in life’s simple, heartfelt moments: sitting quietly along a riverbank with a simple cane pole waiting for a bite, tending to her favorite flowers, or listening to classic old country music. She had a passion for NASCAR racing, held a special fondness for lighthouses, and was always ready to gather around a table for a game of cards or a competitive hand of cribbage.

Above all, Mary Ellen’s legacy lives on in the large, loving family she built and cherished. She is survived by her brother, Norman (Norene) Hamman; her devoted children, Jolene (Dave) Bowers, Mary Jo (Joe) Phillips, Joe Jr. (Torrie) Zublis, and Melonie (Aspen) Brown; as well as 10 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, 6 great-great-grandchildren, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins who will forever treasure her memory.

Mary Ellen was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Joe Zublis Sr.; her parents, Arnold and Ada Hamman; her brother, Dennis Hamman; and her grandson, Matthew Gross.