The funeral service for Marian Stencel of Albert Lea will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at First Lutheran Church of Albert Lea. The Rev. John Holt will officiate. Visitation will be one hour before the service at the church. Interment will be in Hillcrest Cemetery. Bonnerup Funeral Service is assisting the family.

After many years of battling heart disease Marian died in her sleep on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2014, at Koda Living Center in Owatonna. She was 90 years old.

Marian was born Dec. 5 1923, in Mapleton. She and her husband (Ambrose) moved to Albert Lea in 1944 where she resided until 2006. She was the daughter of Elmer and Lina (Mischeke) McFarland. She grew up in Mapleton and graduated from Mapleton High School in 1941. She married Ambrose Stencel in November 1943 to which they had three children: Kathy, Kenneth and Joann.

She worked from Wilson & Co. for 33 years and retired in 1980. She spent her winters in McAllen, Texas, and her summers in Albert Lea. She was a member of the Senior Citizens of Albert Lea, the Senior Retirement Club, the Union Center and also was a member of First Lutheran Church since 1943.

Marian is survived by her three children, daughter Kathleen and her husband, Rick Bell, of Blaine, son, Kenneth, and his wife, JoAnn, of Albert Lea and another daughter Joann Sencer of Owatonna; three grandchildren, Heidi Winters of Brooklyn Center, Kristin Bell and her husband, Andy Williams, of Index, Wash., and Jason Sencer of Owatonna; two step grandchildren, Kara and her husband, Kris Waldron, of Waseca and Seth Schwartz of Minneapolis; five great-grandchildren, Nicholas Winters of Brooklyn Center, Jackie Winters of Brooklyn Center, Benny Winters stationed in Turkey, Zachery Sencer of Owatonna and Morgan Sencer of Albert Lea; and two step-great-grandchildren, Nicholas and Ellery Waldron of Waseca.

Marian was one of seven children, the eldest being Alice (McFarland) Beise of Aurora, then Marian, then came Richard McFarland, Betty (McFarland) Alschlager of Mapleton, Bob McFarland of Mason City, Margaret (McFarland) Riemann of Albert Lea, and the youngest being Jim McFarland of Easton.

Marian was preceded in death by her father, Elmer, who died in January 1979; mother, Lina, who died in June 1999; father-in-law, Peter Stencel, who died in January 1964; mother-in-law, Barbara Stencel, who died in September 1988; brother Richard (Dick) who died in June 1993; sister, Alice Beise, who died in March 2011; and her husband, Ambrose, who died in June 1998.

Sisters-in-law who are gone are Sedona McFarland who died in March 2010; Bernie Thomas who died in October 2000; and Dodie Stencel who died in October 2011.

Brothers-in-law who are gone are Laverne Alschlager who died in October 2007; Russell Beise who died in June 1988; Victor Stencel who died in December 1992; and Donald Stencel. Nephews who are gone are Arnie McFarland who died in March 1989; Wayne Stencel who died in 2011; Keith Stencel who died in March 1996; and Byron Stencel. Also preceding her in death is one great-nephew, Scott Riemann who died in November 2002; one niece, Patty (Thomas) Walk, who died in March 2005; one great-great aunt, Edith Carnahan of Fay, Okla., who died in July 1994; and one uncle, Larry Dufuene of California died on Jan. 20, 2014, at the age of 99.

Blessed be her memory!