Dolores Mauree Marzen, 89, was called home to Heaven on Tuesday March 19, 2024 at MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center. Her six children and husband of 70 years were there to comfort her. She was a resident of Kentucky Ridge in Mason City, but lived the majority of her life on a farm near Dougherty, Iowa.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 am Monday, March 25, 2024 at Holy Name Catholic Church, 507 1st Ave NW, Rockford, Iowa, with Celebrant Rev. Franz Augustin. Visitation will be prior to the service from 9:00 am to 10:00 am at the church. A Rosary Service will begin at 10 am. Burial will be held in St. Patrick’s Cemetery Dougherty, Iowa and a lunch will follow at St. Patrick’s in Dougherty.
Dolores was born August 15, 1934 in Longmont, Colorado, the only child of Dorothy and Clifford “Bud” Spiller. At age 16 the time of her father’s passing, she and her mom moved to Winterhaven, California. It was at this time that started her faithful journey of having a deep strong Catholic faith.
She has been known to secretly tell her granddaughters a dream when she was younger to live in New York City, become an actress,and own 100 pairs of shoes. This plan changed when she met a handsome farmer, Gerald Marzen, on a trip to Iowa visiting family in 1950.They were married March 22, 1954 in Indian Hill Winterhaven, California. It was not easy for Dolores adjusting from a city girl to farm wife but she did well. This was due to the collective group of family, friends, relatives and the Catholic Church community embracing this bright new face from the west coast. She soon felt the deep love for the Iowa farm – learning how to drive the tractor, helping with the harvest, caring for pigs and cows, and mowing giant lawns. Dolores never missed cooking a hearty meal for her husband while taking care of their six children.
Also helping with adjusting to a small town she was involved in many community and Catholic Church activities including President of American Legion Auxiliary for Years, Catholic DRE, teaching CCD, Lay Ministry, and was ordained a Franciscan Sister in November of 2018. Dolores also liked helping the ladies putting on the annual turkey dinner and won awards selling the most poppies with her church friends.
During her favorite season, summer, she loved golfing, garage sales, swimming and anything being outdoors. Dolores especially enjoyed planning her annual family vacations, while motivating her children while walking beans. She enjoyed annual trips to Florida to the beach, reading and doing crossword puzzles. Dolores was always in attendance at her children’s sporting events and was a passionate Green Bay Packers and Iowa Hawkeye fan. She loved her family, and never missed an opportunity to tell a complete stranger about them, in fact no one was a stranger to Dolores.
In the most recent years until her health declined she had taken up a swimming class faithfully with a group of ladies three times a week and then going coffee afterwards, being proud to be part of the group “the Golden Mermaids”.
Those left to cherish memory are her husband Gerald Marzen; her six children, Dennis (Sally) Marzen, Veronica “Vicki” Labianca, Michael (Connie) Marzen, Anthony “Tony” (Char) Marzen, Michelle Deverell, and Scott (Tawnya) Marzen. She was loved by her 15 grandchildren and 17 great grandchildren with two more on the way.
Dolores is preceded in death by her parents, stepfather, August “Stan” Carter; grandson, Drew Marzen, and by many aunts, uncles and cousins.
Any Memorials sent will be donated to the Franciscan Order at a later date.
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