Marilyn Deppe

Marilyn Deppe, 82, of Grinnell and formerly of Kellogg, died on Thursday, January 1, 2026, at her home under the loving care of her family and UnityPoint Grinnell Regional Hospice.
A funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, at St. John's Lutheran Church in Grinnell. A luncheon will follow the service at the church. Interment will be held at Rock Creek Cemetery, west of Grinnell.
The family will receive friends during the visitation from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, at the Smith Funeral Home in Grinnell.
Memorials may be designated to St. John's Lutheran Church and mailed in care of Smith Funeral Home and Crematory, PO Box 368, Grinnell, IA 50112. Memories and condolences may be shared with Marilyn's family online at www.smithfh.com.
Marilyn Sue (Woody) Deppe was born on November 3, 1943, in Newton, Iowa, the daughter of Rex and Dora Mae (Johnson) Woody. She was raised in Newton and graduated from Newton High School with the Class of 1966.
On December 29, 1967, Marilyn was united in marriage to Larry Deppe at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Kellogg. They were blessed with two sons, Gary and Grant, and a daughter, Laura. The family made their home at Rock Creek Lake, west of Grinnell.
Marilyn worked as a claims adjuster for Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance for over 20 years. After retirement, she worked at Phase II, The She Shed, and Lora Lei's in Grinnell. Most recently she worked at Red Head Quilting in Newton. She held a strong faith and was a devoted member of St. John's Lutheran Church in Grinnell serving on the council for many years.
Her greatest love was her family, and she cherished the time they spent together. Always on the move, Marilyn stayed active and enjoyed attending her children's and grandchildren's activities and was looking forward to attending her great-grandchildren's events. She enjoyed finding new varieties of Hosta plants, collecting Longaberger baskets, depression glass, Iowa State Fair pins, turkey platters, researching genealogy, reading, and taking pontoon rides. She also spent countless hours enjoying the peaceful views from her deck. She loved quilting and was a member of the Jewel Box Quilters and made many quilts for Quilts of Valor.
Marilyn will be remembered as a strong and remarkable woman, one who welcomed anyone into her family, a true social butterfly, and a loyal and treasured friend.
Marilyn is survived by her husband of 58 years, Larry Deppe of Grinnell; two sons, Gary (Richard) Deppe of Shoreview, MN and Grant (Tammy) Deppe of Victor, IA; daughter, Laura (Rob) Gomez of Grinnell; grandchildren, Dustin (Abbey) Deppe of Grimes, IA, Haley (Will) Mengler of Garwin, IA, Kiersten (Josh) DeWitt of Lynnville, IA, Quentin (Morgan Luther) Pinkerton of Urbandale, IA, and Quaid Pinkerton of Marshalltown, IA; and great-grandchildren, Olivia Deppe, Willow DeWitt, Lydia DeWitt, and Henry Mengler; and her siblings, Pat (Denny) Farland of Newton, Jane Patterson of Kellogg, Sally Hotchkin of Kellogg, and Joel (Melinda) Woody of Kellogg. She was preceded in death by her parents, and her siblings, Thomas "Tommy" Woody, Timothy "Tim" Woody, and Ruth Sullivan and brothers-in-law, Craig Harding, Van Hotchkin and Mike Patterson.