Marianne (Holland) Michel (1941-2012)

MICHEL, HOLLAND, LAUER, BURDEN, BROEKMEIER, THOMPSON, OLSON, RICKERL, ANDERSON

Posted By: Mark Christian
Date: 8/21/2012 at 21:42:38

THE STORY CITY HERALD, Story City, Story County, Iowa, Wednesday, August 15, 2012.

Marianne Michel

70, of Wilmette, Illinois, passed from this life on Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2012 after a courageous battle with cancer.

Marianne was born to Herbert and Mary Jane Holland on September 30, 1941, the fourth of eight siblings in Leland, Iowa. She graduated from Forest City High School in 1959. She went on to Iowa State University and earned a Bachelor's of Science degree with Honors in Chemistry in 1962.

On Sept. 2, 1962, she married Gregory Alan Michel in Leland, Iowa. This union was blessed with three children, Jennifer Lynn, Erick John and Benjamin Aaron. Marianne and Greg moved numerous times over the first 15 years of their married life and eventually returned to the family farm near Story City in 1977. Marianne did research at the Ames Lab, Penick & Ford, Washington University and Minnesota Valley Testing Labs.
Marianne graduated with a Juris Doctorate with Special Honors from The University of Iowa College of Law in 1991 at the age of 49. She worked as a patent attorney for Phillips Petroleum Company, Chevron Corporation and Pioneer Hi-Bred International.

Marianne and Greg were avid travelers. Over the years, they travelled to all seven continents. Upon retirement, they moved to Wilmette to be close to the families of all three of their children of which she was so proud.

Left to celebrate her life are her husband, Greg; children, Jennifer and husband Kurt Lauer, Erick and wife Christine (Burden), Ben and wife Bonnie (Broekemeier) and seven grandchildren, Elsa Anne, Greta Hope, Sadie Elizabeth, Jack Martin, Duncan Boyd, Tallulah Permina and Lillian Alice all of Wilmette, Illinois. Other survivors include sisters Rebecca Thompson, Martha Olson and Diane Rickerl, brothers, Dave Holland, Jan Holland and Daniel Holland, sister-in-law Kay Anderson and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Marianne was preceded in death by her parents Herb and Mary Jane, an infant sister Susan, her in-laws Martin and Berneice Michel and nephew Tyler Anderson.

A celebration of her life will be held with the family on Sept. 2, 2012 (Greg and Marianne's 50th anniversary) in Wilmette with a scattering of her ashes at a later time. In lieu of flowers, gifts can be made to the Marianne Michel Holland Fund at Chase Bank in Wilmette, Illinois.