Marlene Joyce Houtwed

Marlene Joyce  Houtwed was born October 21st, 1931, in Milford, NE, to Mildred Arwine. She was adopted by Dale and Ruth Gates in January 1932. She attended school in Fairbury and graduated from high school in 1949. She then attended Fairbury Junior College and graduated in 1951. She was Fairbury queen in high school and prom queen in college.

She loved to sing and did solo and group singing, and she also sang with Wayne Elgert dance band. She was also a member of the First Christian Church since she was baptized at eleven years old.

After college, Marlene taught school in Ruskin, NE, where she met Dewane Houtwed. They were married May 31st, 1953. He was in the Air Force and spent two years in Okinawa, while Marlene taught school in the city of Diller. The schoolhouse burnt down in January of 1954, so school was held in the basement of a church. Dewayne came back to Ruskin after leaving the Air Force. He and Marlene farmed on the Houtwed home place. Four boys were born to them: Steven Dale, Robert Bruce, David Kent, and Kevin Jens. In 1979 Marlene moved back to Fairbury and went to Peru State College, earning a four-year degree in Special Education. She taught school at Steele City for five years, until the district merged with Diller. Marlene remained a teacher there until she retired in 2000.

In 1982 she found her birth mother, Mildred, after 51 years, in San Jose, CA. Marlene spent many summers visiting her mother and her half-brother, Jack Cook, and family.

Marlene is survived by her four boys, four daughters in law, and also twelve grandchildren and sixteen great grandchildren. She is also survived by two sisters in law, Arlene Hansen and Willa Cleary.

She is preceded in death by Dewane Houtwed, Ruth and Dale Gates, Dwayne and Mildred Cook, Jens and Mabel Houtwed, Gene Hansen, and Bill Cleary.

Memorial Services will be Friday, August 2, 2024, at 2:00 at the First Christian Church in Fairbury. Memorials will go to the Family’s Choice.  Gerdes-Meyer Funeral Home is assisting with arrangements. www.gerdesmeyerfh.com