Obit: Marschke, Loretta (1914 - 2008)

Contact: R. Lipprandt
Email: bob@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Capell, Empey, Gass, Kahle, Larson, Leffel, Marschke, Schaus, Scholz, Tucker, Wohler

----Source: The Star News (Medford, Taylor Co., WI), Wednesday, December 24, Online Edition

Marschke, Loretta (September 22, 1937 - December 21, 2008)

Loretta "Toots" Marschke, 94, died Saturday, Dec. 20 at Golden LivingCenter Golden Age in Tomahawk.

Funeral services will be held Friday, Dec. 26 at 11 a.m. at St. John's Lutheran Church in Rib Lake, with Pastor Mark Gass officiating, and graveside service and interment at Lake View Cemetery, with Pastor Richard Wohler officiating. Pallbearers will be all of Toots' grandchildren. Visitation will be at the church on Friday from 9 a.m. until the time of service.

The former Loretta Schaus was born May 9, 1914 in the Township of Holton in Marathon County to Charles and Exxie (Empey) Schaus.

Her dad called her his "Tootsie Girl" and it stuck, with many knowing her only at Toots throughout her life. She was the second child in the family with brothers, Lawrence and Glen, and sisters, Evelyn, Gladys and Ethel, all of whom preceded her in death.

At an early age Toots' family moved to Spirit Lake where she attended Spirit Lake Grade School, walking the mile to school in nice weather and taking the horse and cutter when it was cold and snowy. She attended Rib Lake High School and then moved to Colby and stayed with her aunt to attend Colby High School.

She married Albert "Happy" Marschke, her childhood sweetheart, on August 19, 1931 in Valparaiso, Ind. They were married for 63 precious years when Happy died at the age of 86. After their marriage, they lived in Rib Lake until they bought the P.J. Cullen farm on Spirit Lake in 1942.

Toots' life was devoted to her children, Arlene, William, Peggy, Gayle and Robert; and then to her 21 grandchildren. Her house at Spirit Lake was always open to friends and relatives.

Her activities were varied and included plenty of hard work, managing the day-to-day work on the farm, gardening and lots of canning. She also enjoyed crossword puzzles and country music, and had a passion for reading. She was a member of St. John's Lutheran Church. As an adult, she accepted Jesus as her savior.

She was known for remembering dates, places and family history. In her 94 years, she collected an occasion for every day of the year and often asked, "Do you know what today is?"

So how do you say good bye to someone you love? You don't. You simply say thanks for the wonderful memories, thanks for the privilege of sharing your life, and thanks for the profound and meaningful lessons you taught by the kind of person you were. So "Do you know what today is?" This is the day we celebrate how Toots touched our lives.

Survivor include three daughters, Arlene Tucker of Rib Lake, Peggy (Fred) Scholz of Tomahawk and Gayle (Paul) Scholz of Tomahawk; two sons, William (Bernadette) of Rib Lake and Robert (Kay) of Rib Lake; sisters-in-law, Ramona Schaus, Pricilla Larson, Lucene Leffel, Violet Capell and Elaine Marschke; 21 grandchildren; and 42 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; brothers; sisters; and a great-grandson, Mathew Kahle.

Dallmann-Kniewel Funeral Home assisted the family with arrangements.