Marleene J. Ward, 90, of Mabel, died Saturday, July 31, 2021, at the Gundersen Medical Center in La Crosse, Wis.
Marleene was born October 4, 1930, in Hesper Township, Winneshiek County, Iowa, to Walter and Wilma (Darrington) Barth. She graduated from the Mabel High School in 1948 and worked for a year in Decorah. On May 2, 1949, she married Robert Ward. They farmed in the Cresco and Hesper areas before moving to farm near Mabel in 1956. Marleene was active with the farming where they had registered Holsteins while milking and later, registered Angus cattle. In 1996 Robert and Marleene moved to Mabel. Robert died August 27, 2011.
Marleene was a member of the Mabel First Lutheran Church, where she had served on the church council, had been a past president of WELCA, American Legion Auxiliary, Fillmore County Farm Bureau and served as a director, and American Angus Association. She had been a leader of the Mabel Busy Bees 4-H Club, and served on the Fillmore County Extension Committee. Marleene had also worked for the 2000 Census in Fillmore and Winona Counties, delivered the Rochester Post Bulletin for two years, and was a part-time worker at Carol Hyter’s Antique Store.
Marleene is survived by three children: Dwight (Joan) of Kasson, Minn., Marcia (Bob Tasca) Ward of Nodine, Minn., and Douglas (Traci) of Mabel, Minn.; 11 grandchildren: Clare Hoelderle, Jack and Paul Ward, Molly Wipperfurth, Megan Tasca, Amy Tasca, Betsy Baker, Tyler Tasca, Michael Ward, and Justin and Cody Ward; 13 great- grandchildren, two brothers, Neil (Darlene) of Waukon, Iowa, and Merlin “Mert” (Winnifred) of Rathburn, Idaho; two sisters, Alice (Dick) Reedquist of Kalispel, Mont., and Susan (Dan) Voegler of Columbus Junction, Iowa; and several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Robert, a son, Durwin; a brother, Darrell and his wives Shirley and Maxine.
Memorial service will be 2 p.m. Thursday, August 5 at the Mengis Funeral Home in Mabel. Burial will be held at the Mabel Lutheran Cemetery. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service. Memorials are preferred to Mabel Ambulance.