Marlys Mae Eggen

1936 - 2025

Marlys Mae Eggen (Knop), age 89, of Elk River, MN, and formerly of Willmar, MN, passed away peacefully on Friday, December 5, 2025. Marlys was born in Delano, MN on February 18, 1936 to Richard and Mamie (Krause) Knop.

Marlys graduated from Delano High School in 1954. On October 10, 1959, Marlys Knop and John Eggen were united in marriage in Delano, MN. John and Marlys proudly made their homes in Minneapolis, Hamel, Willmar and Elk River, where they raised their family of three boys - David, Daniel and Philip. They celebrated over 65 years of loving marriage.

Marlys' first job out of high school was at Minneapolis Moline as a secretary. She would later tease that she was a test driver for the tractors there. She also worked other secretarial positions while in the Minneapolis area: Pillsbury, St. Johns Lutheran Church in Corcoran, and Carlson Companies. When the family moved to Willmar, MN in 1983, she was employed at Woodland Centers and had a successful 26 year career as a medical transcriptionist. She made many great friends along the way, especially at Woodland Centers.

Marlys had a deep love for her family including her husband, sons, many nieces and nephews and many cousins. Some of her fondest memories are from growing up on the farm in Delano and spending time with cousins near there and the Krause farm in Crown, MN. She felt honored that her brother Jerry's children (and their children) considered her a "special aunt" and included her and John in all their activities and holidays.

Marlys loved to volunteer her time in a variety of ways. She was a longtime member of the Redeemer Lutheran Church in Willmar where she enjoyed serving on the Altar Guild for over 20 years. She also volunteered at Rice Memorial Hospital in Willmar where she was a cheerful person at the welcome desk and helped drive seniors to appointments. In Elk River, Marlys was very active at the local LCMS St. Johns Church where she helped with the altar Guild and was an LWML Secretary.

Marlys was a sports enthusiast and loved to cheer on her favorite Minnesota Twins, Vikings and Gophers. She was a great golfer and participated in leagues in Willmar and Elk River. Perhaps her greatest passion in sports was playing cards where she was a card shark at Five-Hundred, Smear and Cribbage.

She was an active member of the Marlys Club, a group of over 80 women with the same unique name heralding from all over the United States, but mainly from Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.

Marlys is preceded in death by her parents Richard and Mamie Knop, her brother Gerald "Jerry" Knop and her husband John.

Marlys is survived by her sons, David Eggen, Daniel (Tracy) Eggen of Otsego, MN, Philip (Elizabeth) Eggen of Geneva, IL; grandsons, Boyd and Bramlett of Geneva, IL; sister-in-Law, Pearl of Annandale, MN; many nieces and nephews, Kevin, Neil, Debra, Pamela, Sheila, Nancy, Lisa and Libbi; and many great-nieces and great-nephews, family and friends.

In lieu of flowers, memorials in Marlys name are preferred to St. John Lutheran Church in Nowthen, MN.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, December 20, 2025 at 11:00 AM, with visitation one hour prior, at St. John Lutheran Church, 9231 Viking Blvd NW, Elk River, MN. Burial will be alongside John at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis, MN at a later date.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Dare's Funeral Home of Elk River, MN, 763-441-1212, www.daresfuneralhome.com.