Makenna Warden, 14 passed away Tuesday morning, August 9, at the Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, August 13, 2022 at the Community Hope Church in Montezuma beginning at 11:00 am.
Burial will be held at a later date. Visitation will be held on Friday, August 12, 2022 beginning at noon with the family present from 4:00 to 7:00 pm. at the Community Hope Church in Montezuma.
Memorials may be directed to Makenna’s Warrior Fund. Holland-Coble Funeral Home of Montezuma is in charge of the arrangements.
Makenna Diane Warden was born on August 21, 2007, to Bret and Charyl Floyd Warden at Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines, Iowa.
Makenna grew up in Montezuma and attended the Montezuma Schools through the eighth grade. She was always happy, had a cheerful smile and had many friends. She played basketball, played volleyball, was a member of the Iowa Intensity basketball team, and was just selected as an alternate for the Dance Team.
Makenna loved fishing, swimming, and giving her friends nicknames and her family. She enjoyed the Knoxville races and the Eddyville drag strip. Some of her favorites were dino nuggets, her dog, Harley, and especially her friends, cousins and family. Makenna loved to vacation with her Grandma Lisa at Table Rock.
Makenna is survived by her parents, Bret Warden and Charyl Warden of Montezuma; her sister, Mallory Warden; her grandparents, Rick (Deb) Warden of Montezuma, Lisa (Roger) Van Sant of Montezuma, and Cindy Phipps of Montezuma; her great grandparents, Sandy Warden of Newton, Kenny Schultz of Montezuma and Carolyn Dayton of Oklahoma; her aunt, Cori (Thomas) Henkle; her uncles, Kyle (Chelsey Kilmer) Warden and Greg (Ann) Floyd, as well as many other cousins, relatives and friends.
She is preceded in death by her great grandparents, Rex Warden, Janice Schultz and Chuck and Carol Adkins.
Editor’s note – Accident victim Makenna Warden was the subject of a 50171 column on MontezumaMagazine on July 24, and in The Record, Montezuma’s newspaper, on July 28. Here is a reprint of that column.
A family pleads for prayer . . We can DO that!
50171
by Keith Brake
A child has been hurt.
You hate it when that happens. Even more when it’s local. More still when it’s a kid or in a family you know.
In Montezuma, Iowa, 50171, we know most everyone else. Or we know someone who does.
On Thursday, July 14, teenager Makenna Warden received serious injuries in a mishap. Her dad, Bret Warden, posted some detail on his Facebook page the next day.
Makenna was airlifted from Grinnell Regional Medical Center to Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines.
“She has suffered multiple skull and facial fractures and has a severe brain injury, along with a brain stem injury,” he wrote.
I wouldn’t share that information if Bret hadn’t written, “You may share this post if you like.”
He knew you would want to know.
Now, you wish you could DO something. You wish you could say just the “right” thing.
This situation is hard on parents and family and on people in a close community that cares.
Bret Warden knew already that you’re trying.
“Thank you all for what you have done and continue to do,” he said.
“PLEASE continue to lift up this girl as high as you can. She is a fighter and she has a great, strong army pulling for her.”
We have been taught that prayer is always answered. Keep in mind that this is done by an all-knowing, all-seeing Being who exists outside of time.
In prayer, we might not get just what we envision. It might not come when we want it. We’re on Earth, where we keep time. We’re not all-knowing, not all-seeing.
But we are assured that God’s answer will be perfect in form and delivered at just the right moment.
Prayer?
Sure, we can DO that! And we are.
