Marlene Marie Marth, 83, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, October 3, 2023, at Austin Mayo Health System in Austin, Minnesota.
A Celebration of Life service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 7, 2023, at Messiah Lutheran Church in Charles City, Iowa with Erik Hoefer officiating. A light meal catered by the Messiah Women’s Church Circle will follow.
A gathering of family and friends will be held from 10:00 a.m. until the start of the service at the church on Saturday.
Marlene Marie Marth was born August 22, 1940, at her grandparent’s (Busch) house in Floyd, Iowa to her parents Wendel and Joan (Busch) Michael. Her childhood home was on a farm north of Basset, Iowa. She attended school in Rudd, Iowa and graduated high school from Nora Springs, Iowa in 1959. On September 10, 1961, she was united in marriage to David R. Marth in Charles City, Iowa.
Her entire life, she was very artistic, enjoying sewing and crafting. She had a green thumb and her garden was always pristine. She was an excellent cook and baker as well as a canning enthusiast. She also enjoyed playing tennis, bowling, walking, swimming, skating (ice and roller), and snowshoeing.
Marlene and her husband loved being foster parents to 46 children that blessed their home in Winnebago, Minnesota. Several foster children remained in the family calling her mom and coming to family events. Marlene and David then moved to Floyd, Iowa, to be closer to family where they lived until his passing and her move into the Legacy of Brownsdale Assisted Living.
She was a devoted mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great grandmother. She passed on her love of God and Jesus to her family, taught her family many valuable skills while also showering them with love.
Marlene is survived by her daughter, Theresa (Dennis) Groesbeck; foster daughters: Dori (Dale) King, Michelle (Eric) Weringa, Kelly Swenstad, Pam (Mike) Merry; grandchildren: Amanda (John) Etter, Candice (Nick) Naatz, Melissa Groesbeck and special friend Taveris, Kylie (Kristoffer) Kauffman; bonus grandchildren: Cassandra (Andy) Michael, Jessica Swenstad, Melanie (Brandon) Farnham, Curt (Sagan) King, Matt (Katelynn) King, Tyler (Kendra) Weringa, Trevor (Steph) Weringa, Scott (Alina) Louks, and Ashley Louks; great-grandchildren: Angel (Nathan) Ho, Evan Smith, Avery Berst, Ella Naatz, Lily Naatz, Alik Staten, Ezra Groesbeck, Anthony Kauffman, Temperance Kauffman; bonus great-grandchildren: Aubrey Michael, Carly Michael, Kennedy Michael, Henry Michael, Ethan Farnham, Brady Farnham, Aiden Weringa, Jaxson Weringa, Bradley Spears, Liyra Louks, Ezabel Louks, and Desiree Weringa; great-great grandchild, Felicity Ho; siblings: Roger (Kathy) Michael, Karla Thomas, Brenda Olson, Ronald (Mary) Michael; siblings-in-law: Dan (Selma) Marth, Gary (Sandy) Marth, John (Marcella) Marth; and many nieces and nephews.
Marlene was preceded in death by her loving husband, David Marth; parents, Wendel and Joan Michael; in-laws, Otto and Elsie Marth; brother-in-law, Robert Thomas; sister-in-law, Carol (Marvin) Perkins; nephew, Christian Neilson; and grandson, Erik Louks.
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