Marlene Rose Yarusso

Marlene Rose Yarusso (Hudalla)

June 7, 1935 - April 27, 2025

Age 89 of Lake Elmo

“If you are reading this, I am having a good day. I am in heaven.”

Marlene (Miss Marlene to her students) was a school teacher for 50+ years at Sacred Heart, St. Mary’s of the Lake, St. Pius X, Blessed Sacrament and District 622 elementary schools.

She was very involved in the Church serving in the following ways: Altar and Rosary Society at Sacred Heart, Pastoral Council and Legion of Mary at Blessed Sacrament, Usher at both St. Ambrose and St. Jude of the Lake. She was admitted as an Oblate of St. Paul’s Monastery in 1981.

As a teenager, Marlene was active in the Catholic Youth Center (CYC), where she was involved in several productions of Gilbert and Sullivan operettas including “Pirates of Penzance” in which she had the role of Isabel. It was at a CYC party that she met her future husband, Jim.

Marlene loved to teach, travel, and read. She has traveled to 57 countries (and collected spoons from every one!)

She is preceded in death by her husband of 55 ½ years, James; siblings, Sister Claudette Hudalla S.S.N.D., Dorothy Barrett, Robert Hudalla, Eugene Hudalla, Sister LaVerne Hudalla O.S.B., and Leo Hudalla.

Marlene is survived by her children, Dave (Barb), JoAnn (Keith) Reifel, Dan (Michelle), John (Rocky) and Diane (Jon) Ruday; 11 grandchildren: Sandy Sullivan, Tony, Jason, Joleen Graske Hudziak, Jodi Akers, Zach, Kayla Palzer, Kyle, Rachel Perryman, Angela, Anna Ruday; 7 great grandchildren: Audrey and Jack Sullivan, Trenton Graske, James Palzer, Delaney Perryman, Leonardo and Theodore Rodriguez; sister-in-law, Mary Hudalla; 17 godchildren, and lifelong friends, Alice Hoffman and Annie Tiemann.

Visitation 5-8pm on Thursday, May 15th at Mueller Memorial, 4738 Bald Eagle Ave., White Bear Lake. Funeral Mass 11am with visitation beginning at 10am on Friday, May 16th at St. Jude of the Lake, 700 Mahtomedi Ave, Mahtomedi.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to St. Paul's Monastery or School Sisters of Notre Dame.