Marlene Eleanor Gottskalkson

The memorial service commemorating the life of Marlene Gottskalkson, 86, of Minneota, will take place at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, September 12, 2025, at Hope Lutheran Church in Minneota. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment will take place at the Lincoln Icelandic Lutheran Cemetery in Ivanhoe, MN.
Marlene Eleanor (Schlesener) was born on August 23, 1939, at her parent's home outside of Hope, KS. She grew up here and graduated from the Dickinson County Community High School in Chapman, Kansas, in 1957. Marlene was working as a Nurse's Aide in Salina, KS, when she met an Air Policeman with the Air Force, Frederick Gottskalkson. The couple was married at St. John's Lutheran Church in Herrington, KS, on May 10, 1959. After Fred's discharge, they moved to the rural Taunton and Porter area until establishing their family farm outside of Porter. They raised their family and farmed, raised cattle, sheep, hogs and chickens, all while Marlene worked other jobs as well. She did egg packing, electronic circuitry, hospital housekeeping and later drove pilot car for Fred's road construction crew.
Marlene loved to read and decorate her home. She also enjoyed watching movies, listening to music, playing cards and tending to her yard and garden. Marlene was most fond of spending time with her children, grand-children and great-grandchildren. She said "Days are so much brighter when they are around!"
For the last several years, Marlene has been living with her son Greg and his wife Nona, and their family in Minneota as her health declined.
Marlene died suddenly and unexpectedly on Thursday, September 4, 2025, at her residence in Minneota. She is survived by her sons Greg (Nona) Gottskalkson, Jeff Gottskalkson, Randy Gottskalkson, Daniel Gottskalkson; grandchildren Jody (Nate) Jones, Brad Gottskalkson, Justina Gottskalkson, Anthony Gottskalkson (Amanda Stattleman), Kasey (Brice) Denney, Jennifer Gottskalkson; 11 great-grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren; and other relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Fred, siblings Virginia Riffel, Lavonn Gray and Gene Schlesener, nephews Doug and Timothy and other family.
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