SCHMARZO, Doris Arlene (nee Marcks) Ruechel 1927-1996

SCHMARZO, MARCKS, RUECHEL

Posted By: K. Kittleson
Date: 1/19/2009 at 12:45:06

CHARLES CITY, IOWA -- Doris (Mrs. Kenneth) Schmarzo, 68, a resident of 811 Beck St., died Wednesday evening (Oct. 23, 1996) in the Hospice Room of the Floyd County Memorial Hospital.

Funeral services for "Dorie" Schmarzo will be held at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at the First Congregational Church, with the Rev. Jack Ivey officiating. Burial will be in the Riverside Cemetery. Friends may call from noon to 9 p.m. Saturday at Hauser Funeral Home, 1205 S. Main St., and from 10 a.m. until noon on Sunday and one hour prior to services at the church.

Doris Arlene Marcks Ruechel Schmarzo was born Dec. 9, 1927, at St. Ansgar, the daughter of Walter and Leona Braun Marcks. She graduated from St. Ansgar High School in 1945.

Dorie studied voice with Marie Spencer of St. Ansgar and opera with Bartold Busch of Minneapolis where she received her formal music education. She then traveled as a member of the Parkinson Music Ensemble for two years.

In August of 1947, she and Wayne Ruechel were married at St. Ansgar. They divorced in 1958. She moved to Charles City in 1958 where she became choir director of the First Congregational Church choir.

In Aug. 6, 1965, she and Kenneth Schmarzo were married at Charles City.

Dorie played trumpet in the Charles City Municipal Band, the Charles City Brass Quintet, and the Polka Prost, while playing Taps for military honor ceremonies at cemeteries with the Charles City American Legion.

She was a member of the First Congregational Church where she was choir director for 37 years and was organist for 25 years, and was former director of the Youth Handbell Choir.

She was a voice coach and piano accompanist to countless students for 50 years, played trumpet in numerous area Polka Bands for 15 years, was a member of the North Iowa municipal bands in the communities of St. Ansgar, Clear Lake, Osage, Mason City, and Charles City for 57 years, played trumpet in the North Iowa Concert Band, and was a member of the North Iowa Band Festival Alumni Marching Band, was an accompanist for state and music contests, played organ at Ray's Pizza Sing-Alongs, participated in numerous community plays, including: Good-Bye Charlie Brown, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, The Fantastics, Send in the Clowns, and the Last of the Red Hot Lovers, and was manager of the Boyer Music Store in Charles City for several years.

Living family members include her husband, Kenneth Schmarzo of Charles City; two sons and their wives, Bill and Carolyn Schmarzo of Palo Alto, Calif., and Al and Jenny Ruechel of Clearwater, Fla.; a daughter and her husband, Suzette and Alan Blakestad of Avoca; eight grandchildren, Ryan and Amanda Blakestad, Summer, Chad, Justin and Caitlin Ruechel and Alec and Max Schmarzo; a sister, Geneva (Mrs. Jim) Hanna of Osage; a niece, Julie Foth; and a nephew, Mike Hanna.

She was preceded in death by her parents.

Memorials may be directed to the Dorie Schmarzo Music Scholarship Fund which will annually give a music scholarship to the Charles City High School senior student who best exemplifies the spirit, love and musical leadership shown by Dorie over her many years of involvement in music within Charles City.

[Mason City Globe Gazette -- 10/25/1996]