Marilyn Ruth (Howell) WITTE

WITTE, HOWELL, WORDEN

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 6/16/2013 at 13:36:58

April 19, 1931 ----- June 13, 2013

ROCKWELL, Iowa — Marilyn Ruth Witte, 82, of Rockwell, Iowa, passed away on Thursday, June 13, 2013, at the Rockwell Nursing Home after a two- year battle with cancer. A funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, June 17, at St. Peter Lutheran Church, 502 Second St. S. in Rockwell. Pastor Rhea Evanson will be officiating. Interment will immediately follow at the Rockwell Cemetery. A visitation will be held from 4 until 7 p.m. today, Sunday, June 16, at St. Peter Lutheran Church.

Marilyn Witte was born on April 19, 1931, northeast of Dows, Iowa, to Floyd and Ruth (Worden) Howell. She graduated from Nashua High School in 1949. She worked for many years in Mason City doing bookkeeping at Bankers Life Insurance Company. She also waitressed at the bus depot during the evenings. On Dec. 30, 1970, Marilyn was united in marriage at St. Peter Lutheran Church to Orville Witte. To this union they had one son, Roger.

Together they worked on the family farm near Rockwell, which has been in the family for more than 125 years. Marilyn loved the farm. She was a hard worker, especially when it came to stacking hay bales. She was also an excellent cook. The grandchildren always begged for their favorites of meatballs, mashed potatoes, apple butter sandwiches, applesauce, cookies, cinnamon rolls and chocolate cake with homemade frosting. Marilyn was very involved in the community. She taught Sunday school for 10 years at Trinity Lutheran Church in Mason City and 30 years at St. Peter Lutheran Church in Rockwell. She was the "unofficial secretary" of the Lion's Club for 22 years, helping out her husband who was the official secretary. Marilyn also worked out at the fairgrounds as the 4-H livestock bookkeeper during the North Iowa Fair. She was most proud of receiving the State Honorary 4-H Member Award and Century Farm Award.

Her greatest joys in life were her four grandchildren. She loved spending time with them, reading them books and spoiling them with her cooking. Marilyn will be remembered by her family as a strong person with a never-give-up attitude.

Those left to cherish her memory include her husband, Orville; son, Roger (Brandie) Witte of Rockwell; grandchildren Collin, Brett, Katelyn and Nathan; sister, Mary Howell of Hiawatha; brother-in-law, Virgil Witte of Northfield, Minn.; and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; older sister, Mildred; and two sisters in infancy. Fullerton Funeral Home.

Globe Gazette --Mason City, Iowa
June 16, 2013