Marlyus Emerson, 1936-2015

Published 9:35 am Friday, June 5, 2015

Marlyus Juliette Emerson passed away Wednesday, June 3, 2015, at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center Hospital in Wabasha surrounded by her family.

The funeral service for Marlyus Emerson will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at Peace United Methodist Church, located off Highway 42 between Plainview and Elgin, with the Rev. Cooper Wiggen officiating. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday at Schleicher Funeral Homes Plainview chapel in Plainview and one hour prior to the service at the church on Tuesday. Burial will be at 3 p.m. Tuesday in Mansfield Township Cemetery.

Marlyus Emerson

Marlyus was born May 25, 1936, to Manville and Amanda Jahnke in Alden. She grew up on the family farm near Alden and graduated from Alden High School in 1954. As an only child she developed a sense of creativity, curiosity and a plan for dramatics. After graduating from Alden High School in 1954, she attended St. Olaf College in Northfield for two years and then completed a degree in home economics education from the University of Minnesota in 1958. In 1958 in Alden she married Robert Emerson. She taught home economics in Waseca for four years while Robert attended Mankato State University. From 1962 to 1965 both she and Robert taught in the Bertha-Hewitt school system. While at Bertha, Marlyus organized a chapter of the Future Homemakers of America.  Marlyus and Robert moved to Plainview in 1965 where she taught adult cooking, sewing and kitchen planning classes.

Marlyus found great joy in flower gardening, bird watching, and feeding and providing a home in vet care for stray cats and dogs. Her greatest challenge was the rescue of six Siberian husky puppies with the hope of training a sled team. That goal was never reached.

Marlyus was active in Methodist church activities as chairman for the church council for several years, president of the women’s mission group, a member of the vocal and chime choirs and part-time organist. She enjoyed writing poems for church functions and organizing church activities. Marlyus was a collector of antique glassware, Red Wing pottery and family memorabilia.

Marlyus is survived by her husband of 57 years; sons Vincent at home and Lindsay (Jana) of Tulsa, Oklahoma; daughter, Nicole Delahanty, of Uniontown, Ohio; grandchildren Grace, Abby, Grant and Oliva Jenks of Tulsa and Conner, Jacob and Sierra Delahanty of Uniontown; and brothers-in-law John (Lavonne) and Norman (Marlys) Emerson.

She was preceded in death by her parents Manville and Amanda (Clausen) Jahnke; and sisters-in-law Ruthann Ann Sirr and Betty Wilcox.

Memorial donations will be forwarded to Peace United Methodist Church and environmental and animal charities.