June 20 1937 February 16 2020 (age 82)
Obituary Marlys Siems, 82 of Otter Tail Lake, rural Battle Lake died Sunday, February 16, 2020, at the Battle Lake Good Samaritan Center under the care of Red River Hospice. Marlys Irene Siems was born on June 20, 1937, in Dell Rapids, South Dakota the daughter of Ove and Ruth (Heeren) Anderson. She was baptized and confirmed in Bethania Lutheran Church in Jasper, Minnesota. She attended Fergus Falls High School, where she met her husband-to-be, Donn Siems. She graduated in 1955. Marlys and Donn were married at the Aurdal Lutheran Church of rural Fergus Falls in 1956. Marlys lived along the shores of her beloved Ottertail Lake for over 60 years in the home she and Donn built prior to their marriage. Throughout the years, she swam with her children and grandchildren, boated, skied and sailed with friends, and never missed a summer evening sunset pontoon cruise. She was hostess to hundreds of guests and family who regularly visited their lakeside home. The fragrance of her signature dish: homemade caramel rolls, could be ’sniffed’ hours before anyone arose, and moments before the sunrise. Marlys and Donn loved to travel. She read voraciously, studying the history and folklore of the 50 U.S. states and numerous countries they visited. And she loved home and the outdoors. Starting in the Spring when they heard the geese returning north, she and Donn moved into their camper to spend each night ‘under the stars,’ moving back into their home when the leaves began to fall in Autumn. Marlys loved her grandchildren, celebrating their stories, sports, and songs for as many hours they asked of her. Her love for them was patient, steadfast, and soft as an easy chair. ‘Everything’ was important: from sports events, to recitals and graduations. She wrote many chapters in their lives – taking them camping in state and national parks, bicycling and skiing with them in her beloved Glendalough State Park, chaperoning them to Disney World, and playing the board game Mahjong deep into the night. And there were dog walks, dog talks, and dog swims! Marlys was seldom seen without the companionship of her beloved yellow Labradors. Her wit was sharp! Husband Donn didn’t need to have an opinion: Marlys had enough for both of them. Marlys is survived by her husband, Donn W. Siems; son, Dirk A. (Karin) Siems of Battle Lake; daughter-in-law, Lenore Siems of Bemidji; five grandchildren and families, Keshia (Trevor) Solem, Easton and Jameson of Glenwood, Brendon (Kirsta) Siems of Yucca, AZ, Brody (Shannon) Siems and Maya of Brookings, SD, James Siems of Bemidji, and Brittany (Nate) Trosvik and Carson McNeal of Pelican Rapids; brother-in-law, David (Nadine) Siems of Fergus Falls; and by numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. Marlys was preceded in death by her son, Dann Siems; parents, Ove and Ruth (Heeren) Anderson, and her father and mother-in-law, William and Frances (Ladwig) Siems. A celebration of Marlys’ life will be held Saturday, June 20, and every evening until then, at sunset, on the shores of Ottertail Lake. Arrangements assisted by Glende-Nilson Funeral Home of Battle Lake.
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Marlys Irene Anderson Siems June 20 1937 February 16 2020 (age 82).
Death notice for the town of: Ashby, state: Minnesota