Gesme, Marilyn L. (1931-2019)
GESME, MOE, PETERSON, STREETER, BLOOMINGDALE
Posted By: Paul Nagy (email)
Date: 6/29/2019 at 14:39:58
Marilyn L. Gesme
April 4, 1931 - March 2, 2019Marilyn Lavene Gesme, age 87, of Joice, Iowa, most recently of Northwood Pines Assisted Living, died on Saturday, March 02, 2019, at Mercy One North Iowa Medical Center in Mason City.
Marilyn was born on April 4, 1931, in Lake Mills, Iowa, to Lawrence and Margaret (Peterson) Moe. Very proud to have graduated with the Lake Mills Class of 1949, she rarely missed a class reunion. On June 18, 1950, she married Earl Gesme at the Asbury United Methodist Church, Lake Mills. She and Earl had two sons, Ron and Craig, whom she loved very dearly. In 1964, she went to work at Deluxe Products in Lake Mills as a secretary in the Human Resources Department. She, really, enjoyed helping people with their health and life insurance needs. They could count on Marilyn to do the right thing for them. She retired from Fleetguard in 1989 after twenty-five years. Earl and Marilyn enjoyed their retirement by traveling, playing golf and cards, and visiting family. Their enjoyment, however, proved all too brief as Earl died from a heart attack in 1995.
Marilyn and her sister, Delores, also a widow, became best buds. For many years, they went south for the winters. In addition, they loved to play bridge, golf, and talk with each other. Moreover, Marilyn saw her youngest sister, Marcia, more as a daughter. Indeed, she, totally, enjoyed socializing with Marcia and looked forward to visiting with her and her husband, Jim, and playing their favorite card game, Shanghai.
Very active in Bethany Lutheran Church, Marilyn taught Sunday School and participated in Church Circle. Honored by the opportunity, she became the first woman to join the Bethany Church Council. Taking her faith seriously, she led a true Christian life. She believed in the Golden Rule and always spoke positively about other people.
Marilyn’s hobbies included sewing, golfing, going to the Senior Citizens Center, talking (a lot), socializing with family and friends, traveling, and playing cards (especially Bridge). Indeed, she became a Life Master in Duplicate Bridge. In addition, she loved putting jigsaw puzzles together, and she made many quilts and scrapbooks for her sons and other relatives. Always on the go, she had driven her Buick Century for over 240,000 miles before she sold it. That’s a lot of trips to card games, church lunches, and lutefisk suppers in North Iowa.
Marilyn spent the last fifteen months of her life at Northwood Pines Assisted Living. She valued her relationship with Susan Nelson, her staff, and her neighbors. Enjoying the new friendships, she made there, she participated in most of the wonderful social activities available.
Marilyn is survived by two sons, Ron, and his wife, Bev Crumb-Gesme, of Decorah, Iowa, and Craig, and wife, Barb Gesme, of Des Moines, Iowa; two grandsons, Shaun and Paul; her sister, Marcia (Jim) Latham, of Clear Lake, Iowa; her brother-in-law, Dean (Ann) Gesme, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and her brother-in-law, Jim (Dorothy) Gesme, of Hayfield, Minnesota, as well as by many nieces, nephews, grand-nieces, and grand-nephews, whom she loved dearly. She was preceded in death by her husband Earl; her parents; her step-father, Lynn Streeter, and her sister and brother-in-law, Delores and Ron Bloomingdale.
Marilyn L. Gesme’s Celebration of Life Service scheduled for 11:00 AM this Saturday at Bethany Lutheran Church in Joice, Iowa, has been moved to Salem Lutheran Church, 401 South Lake Street, Lake Mills, Iowa 50450, because of a power outage. Inurnment will follow in Salem Lutheran Cemetery in Lake Mills, Iowa. Visitation is scheduled for one hour before the service at the church. Marilyn’s family suggests that memorial contributions be made to Bethany Lutheran Church.
Mittelstadt Funeral Home, Lake Mills, Iowa, 2019.
Winnebago Obituaries maintained by Cheryl Siebrass.
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