Marilyn June Brightman

Marilyn June Brightman, age 90, passed away Thursday November 7, 2024, at Generations Memory Care in Mankato, Minnesota. 

A Celebration of Life service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Friday November 15, 2024 at Northview – North Mankato Mortuary. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service.. 

Marilyn is survived by her four children, John (Shannon) Henderson of Watsonville, CA;  Debra Wheeler of West Des Moines, IA; Mark (Roberta) Brightman of Earlham, IA; Susan (Tim) Ackerman of Madison Lake, MN; 11 grandchildren, Jacob, Jordan, Lauren, Arianna, Marina, Malachi, Jennifer, Catherine, Robert, Kelli, and Jay; 14 great grandchildren; two brothers, Charles (Pam) Keeling of Camas, WA; Glen (Ginger) Keeling of Des Moines, IA; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Marilyn was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Marty Brightman on February 13, 1999; and two siblings, Geraldine LaCom and Darrell Keeling.

Born in Des Moines, Marilyn spent the majority of her life in Iowa as a homemaker and she helped her husband in his many businesses. Later she worked as a Unit Clerk at Powell Chemical Dependency Center. She grew up in and was a devoted woman of the Seventh Day Adventist Church. Her family was her greatest joy in life; she enjoyed time with them and looked forward to the annual family reunion. She enjoyed gardening, baking, cooking, and cherished time with her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. 

After her Alzheimer’s diagnosis, Marilyn relocated to Minnesota to live with her daughter Susan. They became members of the Singing Hills Chorus, which is a Chorus comprised of individuals with dementia and their caregivers. She maintained her love for spending time with her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. 

She was known by many names: Marilyn, Mom, Grams, Grandma, GG, and Mar (pronounced Mere). She will be deeply missed by all that knew her and even more by those that loved her. 

Internment services will be held on November 18, 2024, at 11:00 am at Rising Sun Cemetery in Pleasant Hill, Iowa. 

In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations to support Singing Hills Chorus, a program of the Mankato/North Mankato ACT on Alzheimer’s. Donations can be made to Singing Hills Chorus c/o Twin Rivers Center for the Arts: https://app.etagestry.com/cart/TwinRiversCenterfortheArts/default/item.php?ref=7710.0.322291736