Mary Louise (Franklin) Drost, of Republic, Missouri, passed away on Feb. 10, 2026, in Republic, Mo. Mary was born on July 25,1928, in Mahaska County, Iowa. She was the daughter of Ray and Gertrude (Voss) Franklin. Mary graduated from Oskaloosa High School in 1946. She was united in marriage to Shirley “Short” James Drost on December 6, 1947, in Oskaloosa, Iowa. Mary worked for Sears for 30 years before retiring. Mary and Short then moved to Republic, Missouri in l989. Mary and Short were married 66 years when he passed away in January of 2014. She was a member of the Hood United Methodist Church where she was active in the UMW.
She is survived by her daughter and her husband, Linda and Jerry Van Wyk; grandson and his wife, Michael and Kristi Van Wyk; great grandchildren, Mikki Pearce and her husband Dalton, Will Glenn, Kaylin Glenn and partner Nathan McLeod, and Maxwell VanWyk and fiancé Callie; great-great granddaughter Bailey Pearce, great-great grandson Emmitt McLeod and great-great granddaughter Eleanor McLeod. Along with many nieces and nephews and other extended family, church family and many friends.
She was preceded in death by her husband Short, parents, brothers Dwight Franklin and Roy Franklin.
Funeral services will be held Monday, February 16, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. in the Bates Funeral Chapel in Oskaloosa with Dick Drost officiating. Burial will be in the Forest Cemetery in Oskaloosa. The Bates Funeral Chapel is in charge of the arrangements. The family will be at the funeral chapel from 10:00 a.m. until service time at 11:00 a.m.
The Meadors Funeral Home is handling the arrangements in Missouri.
