Marjorie ‘Marj’ Jean Lemke, age 79, of the Town of Pine River, Lincoln County, went to her eternal home surrounded by her family Tuesday morning, February 9, 2021 at Good Samaritan Hospital, Merrill. Marj was born on January 18, 1942, in Merrill, daughter of the late Wilbert and Viola (Voelz) Dengel. Marj married James ‘Jim’ Lemke on May 28, 1960 in the Town of Pine River, Lincoln County, and he preceded her in death on January 17, 2011. Marj graduated from Merrill High School in 1959. Her husband, Jim, was deployed with the National Guard to Fort Lewis in the state of Washington during the Berlin Crisis. Jim went ahead with the guys. Marj and her good friend, Shirley Sturm, packed up their young daughters, Julie and Sherry, and together the two women drove across the country, to the home they shared with Ken and Shirley due to housing shortage during their stay in Washington. Marj worked at M & I Bank in Merrill, and also worked as a bookkeeper at Anson & Gilkey, Merrill, and Snyder Drug, Merrill, until their closing. She also worked at Mitchell Metal Products seasonally. Marj was a member of St. John Lutheran Church in Merrill. She enjoyed attending the Hodag Country Festival every July for over 30 years. She had a very ‘green thumb’ as you could tell by her garden every summer until she wasn’t able to tend to such a big garden. Marj also had many flower beds around her home that grew and grew every year with every color bloom you could think of. Her spring daffodil bed was amazing. Marj enjoyed meeting up with friends for coffee or going out to eat for supper and attending craft sales. She loved winter and would get family members to join for a last minute family get together for sledding and snowmobiling at her cousin, John Renken’s shack with the help of her best friend Barb Renken. Those two could put together amazing fun times in no time at all. Marj also started the first cookie exchange party with her many friends which went on for years with special crafts in everyone’s homes to show for their time. Marj and Jim loved to travel, they had a timeshare condo in Wisconsin Dells that they would take the family along to once a year that everyone made lots of memories at. One year, they swapped out and used a condo in West Virginia and met the Voelz family cousins for a family reunion during their stay and visiting Washington D.C. Marj was an extremely caring and generous person. She put a lot of thought into everything she did for others. Many of her children’s friends referred to Marj as their ‘second mom’. She holds a very special place in the hearts of those she leaves behind.
Survivors include three daughters, Julie Sjuggerud of Manitowoc, WI, Lisa (Greg) English of Merrill, and Jolyn Hubbard of Deerbrook; one son, Jay Lemke of the Town of Pine River; five grandchildren, Marissa English (William Koepke), Mirinda English (Matt Patnode), Reba Sjuggerud, Travis (Michalie) Hubbard, and Britani Hubbard (Dalton Gallus); one great-granddaughter, Mia Hubbard; three brothers, Dennis Dengel (Sue Briggs), Gary Dengel (Mary Cota), and Dan (Denise) Dengel, all of Merrill; and one sister-in-law, Gloria Lemke of Merrill. Marj was preceded in death by her husband, James ‘Jim’ Lemke; parents, Wilbert and Viola Dengel; brother, James Dengel; son-in-law, Gary Sjuggerud; sisters-in-law, Charlene Lemke and Georgene Dengel; and brothers-in-law, David Lemke and Gerald Lemke. Marj was also reunited with her very special friend, Barb Renken.
The funeral service for Marj will be held at 11:00 A.M. Tuesday, February 16, 2021 at St. John Lutheran Church, Merrill. Rev. David Szeto will officiate. Burial will take place in Merrill Memorial Park Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 4:00 P.M. until 7:00 P.M on Monday, February 15, 2021 at the Taylor-Stine Funeral Home, Merrill, and after 10:00 A.M. Tuesday, February 16, 2021 at the church. Masks and social distancing will be required at the funeral home and recommended at the church. Online condolences may be made at www.taylorstinefuneralhome.com