Marilyn Ehlers

Marilyn Jean Ehlers 78 of Preston, Iowa died on Wednesday, September 30 at Finley Hospital in Dubuque surrounded by family. A celebration of Marilyn’s life will be held at 10:30 am Monday, October 5, 2015 at the Salem Lutheran Church in Spragueville, Iowa. Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. on Sunday, October 4, 2015 at the Law-Jones Funeral Home in Preston, Iowa. Burial will be in the Spragueville, Iowa Cemetery. A memorial fund has been established in Marilyn’s memory.
Marilyn was born on March 20, 1937 in Maquoketa, Iowa to Gerald Nissin and Myrl Augusta (Flagel) Stamp. She attended Maquoketa High School and graduated with the class of 1954. Marilyn married John L. Ehlers on February 8, 1959 at Salem Lutheran Church in Spragueville, Iowa. Marilyn joined in a special relationship with Lloyd Zell in July 12, 1986.
Marilyn was a loving, wife, mother, grandmother (Grams) and friend. Marilyn has been a lifelong member of Salem Lutheran Church in Spragueville. Besides being a fulltime mother and house wife, Marilyn also worked 10 years at Clinton Engines, 10 years at Sabula Speaker Co., 2 years at Collis, and 15 years with John Deere Davenport works, where she retired in 1998.
Marilyn was always known has a hard worker from time as a child that she spent helping her father in the fields, to being the first person man or women to make rate hanging parts on the paint line at John Deere Works in Davenport. Along with her strong work ethic, she enjoyed her free time. Marilyn’s favorite reminder to her family was slow down and “Take time to smell the roses”. Marilyn took time to smell the roses by camping, fishing, and traveling the United States and Canada, enjoying sites and activities the country had to offer. In her leisure time around “Ehlers Acres”, you could catch her enjoying a ride around the farm on her “5 wheeler,” a 4th of July fireworks show, watching a good Western, or enjoying a football game.
Marilyn will be deeply missed by her special friend Lloyd Zell, of Preston, three sons, Wayne (Jody) Ehlers of Lanark, Illinois, Leallen Ehlers of Preston, Wesley (Brenda) Ehlers of Bryant, one sister Wanda Lee Ganzer of Spragueville, one brother Neville (Stephanie) Stamp of Gooselake, seven grandchildren Josh (Tammy) Ehlers of Freeport Il., Jackie (Walt) King of Clinton, Justine Ehlers (fiance A.J. Paradiso) of Dubuque, Jordan Ehlers of Pleasantville, John Ehlers of Marion, Ashleigh (Ryan) Simmons of Clinton, Alexis Ehlers of Bryant and 9 great grandchildren. Marilyn is preceded in death by her husband, John, parents Gerald and Myrl Stamp, and a sister Janet Christy.