Mari
lyn Louise (Roepke) Medberry was born on April 17, 1942 in Littleton, Iowa to Rudolph and Edna (Weitnauer) Roepke. At two years old the family moved to Hazleton, Iowa and Marilyn graduated from Hazleton High School in 1960. In her youth she enjoyed ice skating and playing with her 11 siblings. The summer before her senior year of high school was spent as a nurse’s aide which she really enjoyed. She decided to be a nurse and spent three months at nurse’s training and as a scrub nurse at Oelwein’s Mercy Hospital in1961.
1964 Marilyn married and later divorced Dulane Schoen and gave birth to: Michael Todd and April Zoe in California. Marilyn married Robert Eugene “Gene” Medberry on March 24, 1974 and Amy Gene was born in 1975. Gene then adopted Mike and April in 1976. Gene’s daughters: Roberta and Connie visited on the weekends and a blended family was born. Gene & Marilyn were married and resided at rural Elgin for almost 44 years on the family farm. Marilyn helped with farm chores as a farm wife, was a Sunday school teacher at Illyria Community Church and lifetime member, cooked at Townhouse Cafe, and was the bookkeeper at Old Mill Floral in West Union. Marilyn and Gene enjoyed their retirement camping at Wildwood Acres near Maquoketa, Iowa.
Marilyn loved playing cards & board games with her children and grandchildren. She enjoyed reading all day long, keeping family stories alive, canoeing on the Turkey River, shopping, camping, extensive traveling, knitting, crocheting, tri-chem painting, cooking, & baking, and eating Chinese food. Our mom made the best potato salad ever! Some of her favorites were: her grandchildren & great-grandchildren, listening to Elvis Presley & 50’s music, Pepsi not Coke, watching John Wayne movies, Wheel of Fortune, & Jeopardy. Marilyn was so proud of her all of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Marilyn passed away from complications of a second stroke on the first day of spring March 20th, 2018 with her family around her; she would of been 76 on April 17th.
Those left to honor her memory include her husband: Gene Medberry (Elgin), son: Michael (Mary Ann) Medberry of Santa Vista, CA., daughters: April (Ken) Schmitt (Fort Atkinson) and Amy Medberry (Elgin) and (Amy’s special friend Justin Zeran), step-daughters: Roberta Medberry (West Union) and Connie (Mat) Benjegerdes (West Union), grandchildren: Ryan (Ali) Benjegerdes, Lucas Benjegerdes, Christopher (Ivy) Medberry, Casey Aagesen, and Ashley Aagesen. Great-grandchildren: Lydia and August Benjegerdes, Eli Rudy Walker, Lillian & Isabella Medberry. Sisters: Dorothy Knavel, Thelma Duckett, Elaine Rockwood, Judy (Mark) Lang, Alice Roepke-Vega. Sister-in-laws: Susan Roepke, Marlene (John) Grimm, Meg (Bill) Moellering and many nieces and nephews.
Marilyn was preceded in death by her parents: Rudy & Edna Roepke, in-laws: Howard & Edith Medberry, sisters/sister-in-laws: Gladys Higgins, Bessie Roepke (in infancy) and Shirley Roepke and brothers/brother-in-laws: Jim Roepke, Jerry Roepke, Paul Roepke, Bob Knavel, Ray Rockwood, Roger Duckett, & Mike Vega and 12 nephews & nieces.
Visitation will be held from 1:00-4:00 p.m. on Sunday March 25, 2018 at Illyria Community Church, rural Elgin, Iowa.
Funeral Service will be at 4:00 pm. on Sunday, March 25, 2018 at Illyria Community Church, rural Elgin, Iowa.
Lunch will follow at the church.
A private family burial will be held at a later date.
Leonard-Grau Funeral Home and Cremation Service, Elgin, Iowa is helping the family with the arrangements.