Marienau, Marie 1914-1982

MARIENAU, PHELAN

Posted By: Linda Ziemann, Volunteer (email)
Date: 12/14/2006 at 20:28:58

Marie Marienau Killed In Crash

Marie Marienau, 68, rural LeMars, was killed Thursday afternoon when her car swerved across the center line, struck two tractors pulling cultivators and careened through a ditch into the middle of a field.

Mrs. John Marienau was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident four miles west of LeMars on highway 3 at 2:30 p.m. It was the sixth traffic fatality in Plymouth County since the beginning of the year.

Mrs. Marienau, who was alone in her car, was westbound on the highway when her car crossed the center line as she met three eastbound tractors in succession equipped with cultivators. She collided with the first implement, shearing the top off, then hit the second cultivator, Plymouth County sheriff’s department investigators said. The third tractor driven by Bruce Kellen swerved and barely missed the car.

The car went into the south ditch, through a fence and came to rest two tenths of a mile away from the road, said Plymouth County deputy, Tom Bice.

The first tractor struck was driven by Timothy Dreckman, 28, Maurice. The second tractor was drive by Charles Kellen, 24, Orange City. Neither Dreckman nor Kellen were injured.

The LeMars ambulance took Mrs. Marienau to Floyd Valley hospital.

Marie Rosella Phelan (Marienau) was born March 6, 1914, in Union township, Plymouth County, to the late Wyatt and Josephine Ostert Phelan. She attended Union Consolidated school and Western Union college, teaching school at Grant township No. 8. She was a lifelong Plymouth county resident.

On June 8, 1939, she married John Marienau and lived on a farm west of LeMars. Marie was an active member of Christ Lutheran church, taught Sunday school for 25 years and was a member of Faith Circle, A. L. C. W.

She was a charter member of Grant township Farm Bureau Women.

She was also preceded in death by three brothers, Roy, Raymond and Emmett.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday at Christ Lutheran church. Rev. Jack Hebard will officiate and burial will be in the church cemetery under direction of the Mauer Funeral Home in LeMars.

A prayer service will be held at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home.

Survivors are her husband, John Marienau, and a son, James and his wife, Verda and grandchildren, Jon, Jamie and Jason all of rural LeMars; a brother Leland, and two sisters, Mrs. Dick (Helen) Osterbuhr and Mrs. Henry (Evelyn) Marienau, all of LeMars.

Plymouth County medical examiner, Dr. Daryl Doorenbos said Friday on the basis of preliminary autopsy findings and investigation, Mrs. Marienau was disabled by a heart problem prior to the accident. Final autopsy reports including the exact cause of death will not be completed for a week to 10 days.

[Date of death: June 24, 1982]