Marla Kay Smedema

Marla Kay Smedema, 81, of The Villages, FL passed away on Wednesday, November 5, 2025 at The Villages Hospice House of Cornerstone Hospice & Palliative Care.

Marla was born on August 10, 1944, in Fond du Lac, WI to Jerome Huizenga and Ann Clowry Huizenga. Marla grew up in Randolph, WI and graduated from Randolph High School in 1962. She married Mark Smedema, and they moved to Horicon. She later resided in Beaver Dam before moving to Raleigh, North Carolina and finally The Villages.

Marla spent much of her life working for John Deere Horicon Works in Horicon, WI and transferred to North Carolina before retiring as a Parts Catalog and Manual Specialist. She enjoyed playing the piano, playing SkipBo with family and friends, She loved bowling, playing golf in several leagues in Wisconsin, North Carolina and Florida, and in her free time she knitted and crocheted many items such as blankets and hats and donated them to local organizations.

Marla was preceded in death by her parents and brothers-in-law Paul Verhoeven, Harlan Andrews, Doug Fitzsimmons and niece Jennifer Verhoeven.

Marla is survived by two daughters, Melissa (Dan) Raube and her children Megan Raube, Lee (Lauren) Raube and Mallori (Brad) Dorsey, all of Metamora, IL and Mindi (Steve) Kohout of Waupun WI, and her children Jordan (Lola) Kohout of Fort Washington, MD and Dylan Kohout of Waupun, WI.

She was blessed with eight great-grandchildren, Teagan, Emalyn, Edison, Maizee, Bryan, Ihsan, Afiyah and Zain. She was also the oldest of seven, her siblings are Marcia Verhoeven, Adele Fitzsimmons, Janice (Ken) Dodge, Kelly Andrews, Mike (Lena) Huizenga and JeriJean Levander. Marla also leaves behind numerous nephews and nieces in addition to other extended family and friends that will miss her dearly.

No funeral services are scheduled, her final wishes were to have her ashes scattered in Fond du Lac, WI area where her life began. Arrangements have been entrusted to A Direct Cremation, Gainesville, FL www.ADCremations.com