Friday, March 29, 2024

Marlys Elaine Delzer, 94, rural Mantorville

Marlys Elaine Delzer, 94, of rural Mantorville, passed away Monday, April 17, 2023, while holding the hand of her family at the home where she and her husband had raised their family.

Marlys was born February 27, 1929, in Dodge County, MN to Leslie and Ruby (Madery) Langworthy. Marlys was active in church, school, and 4-H, where she exhibited chickens at the Dodge County Fair and gave many bread making demonstrations, winning trips to the Minnesota State Fair with her friend (and future sister-in-law), Merece Engelstad (Langworthy).  It was during this time she met her future husband, David.

Marlys and David Ernest Delzer were married on October 26, 1947, at her grandparents’ home in Ashland Township, where her parents had been married 24 years earlier. Marlys and Dave farmed north of Mantorville, where they started their family.  In 1959, they moved, with their four children, to their present farm. A year later three additional children were entrusted to their care and later a son was born. Marlys and Dave were busy parents with all family members active at the Pleasant Corners Evangelical United Brethren Church, 4-H, and/or  FFA. Marlys farmed along-side her husband, raised and butchered many chickens, canned and froze produce from her large garden and sewed clothing for her children. As you would expect, with a large family she spent a lot of time in the kitchen.  She could whip something up out of nothing to feed family and friends. She loved to bake. She was especially known for her homemade bread and delicious cinnamon rolls with the red cinnamon candies and buttercream frosting. They were the best! She was very proud of her family, and she and Dave were often in the audience cheering them on at sporting events, concerts, and academic events or helping them from the sidelines.

When her eldest daughter started college, Marlys joined her, often having classes with her daughter. It was at this time their family grew by another daughter from Japan, making a family of nine children. With her college degree, Marlys started working at Saint Mary’s Hospital on the orthopedic floor. Wanting to be closer to home, Marlys went to work at the Fairview Care Center as a Registered Nurse, advancing to Assistant Director of Nursing before her retirement, after which she returned to Fairview and worked well into her seventies.

Marlys enjoyed working on the farm, especially driving tractor. She enjoyed having horses and rode horseback her entire life, when time allowed. As years passed, Marlys and Dave shifted their interest to horse drawn wagon rides. It was not uncommon to see them giving family, friends, and grandchildren and great grandchildren’s 4-H club wagon rides. They especially enjoyed the ten-day annual fund-raising Friendship Wagon Train event where they traveled with their team of horses and wagon. Marlys and Dave were also well known for their winter sleigh rides with the team decked out with sleigh bells.

Marlys and Dave thoroughly enjoyed their trips to the western United States on Amtrack, to Japan by plane, and on an Alaskan cruise. She also accompanied her daughter and daughter-in-law on a Cowboys for Christ Cruise to Mexico.

As her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren were growing up, Marlys timed it so baby chicks would hatch from eggs during Easter. Every spring she enjoyed the arrival of the baby chicks and watching them grow throughout the summer. Even in her nineties, she helped butcher chickens, canned her own tomatoes and other produce, and froze corn and squash from her garden. She was an adventurous soul as demonstrated by zip-lining with her daughter and son-in-law shortly after her 90th birthday.

To all who knew her, she embodied a true spirit of welcoming and inclusiveness. Marlys’ door was always open. She was well known for her smile, graciousness and friendly demeanor. Her genuine love for people impacted everyone she met.

Her greatest joy was her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren; actually, all children. Her love, patience, generosity, gratitude, and sense of humor helped to inspire her family through the ordinary days and challenging days. Her strong faith and positive attitude is just one more thing she was known for.

Marlys is survived by her children, Steven (Sandy) Delzer of Dodge Center, MN; Harlan (Peggy) Delzer of Riverside, CA; Gwen (Leon) Rose of Cannon Falls, MN; Gayle (Steve) Vangness of Canton, MN; Vicki (Mario) Guy of Huntingtown, MD; Cyndi (William) Long of Loxley, AL; David Pearson of Warren, IN; Tomomi (Ron) Ganrude of St. Charles, MN; and Laurie Weatherly, Blaine’s (deceased) special partner in life: 24 grandchildren; 32 great-grandchildren; and 3 great-great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband of 68 years, David Delzer; son Blaine Delzer; and brothers Roy, Erwin, and Dale Langworthy of Dodge Center.

A Celebration of Life service will be held at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, April 22, 2023, at Pleasant Corners United Methodist Church, 21927 650th Street, rural Kasson, MN with Pastor Jacob Hanson officiating. There will be a one-hour visitation prior to the service. Visitation will be Friday, April 21, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Czaplewski Family Funeral Home, 801 7th Street, Kasson, MN. Interment with Military Rights for Marlys’ brother, Dale Langworthy will start at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 23, at Riverside Cemetery, Dodge Center, MN. Interment for Marlys will follow.

The family would like to thank Seasons Hospice for their excellent care. Also, a huge thank you to family friend, Sheri Green Lorentz for the love shown, and the excellent care given to mom, grandma, grandma great, and grandma great-great (as she liked to be called). Thank you to those family members and friends who stepped in to help with Marlys’ care or by mowing the lawn, snow removal, and weeding the garden, etc. these past few years.

The Delzer family suggest memorial donations be directed to Seasons Hospice, Pleasant Corner United Methodist Church, Dodge Center Riverside Cemetery, or to the donor’s choice.

To share a special memory or condolence, please visit: www.czaplewskifuneralhomes.com, Czaplewski Family Funeral Homes, 801 7th Street SE, Kasson, MN 55944 (507) 634-6510.  Blessed be her memory.

 

 

Dodge County Independent

Dodge County Independent
Dodge County ADvantage
301 S. Mantorville Ave.
Plaza 57 • Suite 200
Kasson, MN 55944

Dodge County Printing
301 S. Mantorville Ave.
Plaza 57 • Suite 200
Kasson, MN 55944

507-634-7503
 
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