Marlan J. Rolfes

Marlan John Rolfes, age 77 of Hartington, Nebraska died on Wednesday, October 22, 2025 at Avera Sacred Heart Hospital in Yankton, SD.

Memorial services will be on Monday, October 27, 2025 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Newcastle, Nebraska with the Rev. Will Targy officiating. Burial of his cremated remains will be at Calvary Cemetery in Newcastle. Visitation will be on Monday, at church, from 9:00 until 10:00 a.m. Arrangements are under the direction of the Wintz Funeral Home in Hartington.

To watch a livestream of the funeral mass go to www.facebook.com/WintzRay/live

Honorary pallbearers will be Marlan’s grandchildren.

Marlan John was born on March 15, 1948 in Yankton, SD to Alfred Nicholas and Clara Mary (Jansen) Rolfes. He grew up on a farm near Wynot, Nebraska and graduated from Hartington Cedar Catholic High School in 1968. He then received his Master’s Degree in Agricultural Engineering in 1973. Marlan married Sharon Catherine Lowe on July 14, 1973 in Newcastle. Marlan worked for John Deere in Ottumwa, Iowa for three years and then he and Sharon lived in East Moline, Illinois (Quad Cities) for two years prior to moving back home to farm the homestead with his family. They built a home north of Newcastle in 1990. He continued to farm raising grain, livestock, hogs, and chickens until his health prevented him from doing so. Marlan and Sharon moved into Hartington in July of 2024.

Marlan was a member of St. Peter’s Catholic Church, its church board, and the Newcastle school board. He was always trying to improve how things worked. He liked to go golfing, fishing, flying and watching Gunsmoke. He was in a flying coop in Ottumwa and East Moline and flew home quite often to help farm.

Marlan is survived by his wife, Sharon of Hartington; three children and spouses Kerri (Bruce) Meyer of Syracuse, NE, Chad (Lora) Rolfes of Vermillion, SD, Craig (Jenny) Rolfes of Hartington; 10 grandchildren – Lauren and Jayden Meyer, Reese, Blake, and Joslyn Rolfes, Claire, Isabel, Dayne, Aubri, and Ezekiel Rolfes; 12 siblings Janice (Walter) Haberman of Norfolk, Judy (Dale) Blauwet of Sioux Falls, SD, Nick (Peggy) Rolfes of St. Paul, MN, Allen Rolfes of Wynot, Joyce (Nancy) Rolfes of Phoenix, AZ, Mary (John) Bystrom of Omaha, Carol (Joe) Finocchiaro of Omaha, Neal (Susan) Rolfes of Wichita, KS, Mark (Julie) Rolfes of Ponca, DelRae (Mary) Rolfes of Lincoln, Mike (Susan) Rolfes of Omaha; many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his father Alfred; a brother Roger; in-laws John (Roseanna) Lowe; sisters-in-law Mary Ann Lowe and Irene Lowe.