Marguerite E. Wetzel, age 85, of Marion, died Thursday afternoon, June 23, 2011, at her residence surrounded by her loving family, following an extended illness.
On May 2, 1926, Marguerite was born in Radnor, Ohio, one of ten children of the late Edwin and Verna (Evans) Thomas.
Her family would move to Waldo shortly thereafter, where she was raised and attended school in the one room schoolhouse in Norton. Also, she graduated from Waldo High School in the Class of 1944.
Just before graduating, Marguerite married her classmate and high school sweetheart, Clarence H. Wetzel, on March 12, 1944. Together they lovingly raised five children and shared over thirty two wonderful years of marriage. He preceded her in death unexpectedly on June 27, 1976.
A loving homemaker, there was nothing Marguerite wouldn’t do to help care for her husband and children. On the farm, she would willingly help in any way she was needed, whether that meant driving the tractor or even blowing through a straw into a pig’s mouth to keep them warm through the night. She also took great pride in raising her five children, teaching them everything from manners and school work to also “teaching all of them to play ball”. She was glad her children had more opportunities to play in sports than she did, and she taught them to embrace whatever they were doing.
In addition to working on the family farm, Marguerite also had worked at Ranco in Delaware for several years.
A woman of faith, Marguerite was a member of the Peace Community United Church of Christ in Waldo. She also was a member of the Women’s Auxiliary of the American Legion Post #605 in Waldo, and volunteered for Meals on Wheels for several years.
All of Marguerite’s favorite moments in life, were moments spent surrounded by her family. She would have cookouts as often as possible to get her large family together, and she would spoil them with her great cooking. And to her family, everything that came out of her kitchen was spectacular, and she may be best known for her apple sauce. For her, cooking came natural, as she didn’t need any recipes to go from and she never measured, yet it still always came out great. And one of her rules was that you could never leave her house hungry. Even when she would claim “she didn’t have much” food to work with, the next thing you knew there was a “thanksgiving type meal in front of you”.
An avid sports fan, Marguerite absolutely loved watching most any type of sport, especially if it involved watching her children, grandchildren or great-grandchildren. She was their best cheerleader, and she would do anything she could to be there for her family. She also loved watching her beloved Ohio State Buckeyes play both football and basketball.
A fiercely competitive euchre player, Marguerite loved a “good euchre game”, which meant to her that you had to know all the ins and outs and nuances of the game and you had to come ready to play. She loved to play this and dominos with her family and friends, and with her fellow members of the Marion and Waldo Senior Centers.
Having an extraordinary mind, Marguerite was able to remember nearly everything and she was the go to person for her family. If you wanted to know a date something happened, you didn’t need to keep track of it yourself, you just had to call “Mother”. This is probably why she loved watching game shows, such as Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune, Baggage, and many more, because it enabled her to use her sharp mind.
Always organized and very particular, Marguerite could be best described as a “straight shooter”, telling you exactly what she thought and there was no going against what she thought. Also, she was the heart and soul of her family, and they knew they could turn to her for anything.
Getting a second chance at love, Marguerite married Jerry Baker later in life and shared over two years together, until he preceded her in death.
Marguerite will be dearly missed by her five children: Jim (Janice) Wetzel of Marion, Linda (Don) Masters of Marion, Steve (Linda) Wetzel of Waldo, Tim (Nancy) Wetzel of Caledonia, and Scott (Tami) Wetzel of Galena; twenty two grandchildren and twenty nine and a half great-grandchildren; a brother, Lowell (Joan) Thomas of Waldo; a sister, Freda Waddell of Delaware; two sisters-in-law: Lucella Klingel of Waldo, and Grace Neal of Mount Gilead; and oodles of nieces, nephews, cousins and other loving family.
Including her husbands and parents, Marguerite was preceded in death by her daughter-in-law, Norma Kay Wetzel in 1989; three brothers: Donald, Paul and Ronnie Thomas; and four sisters: Dorothy Newell, Winifred Rodgers, Margie Hagaman, and Joan Jordan.
The Wetzel family will greet friends from 1 – 3 p.m. on Monday, June 27, 2011, at the Denzer-Farison-Hottinger & Snyder Funeral Home, 360 E. Center St., Marion. Services honoring her life will follow there immediately at 3:00 p.m. with Rev. Joel Fetter officiating. Burial will follow in Claridon Cemetery.
A request from Marguerite, would be to please send memorial contributions instead of flowers and they may be made to either Peace Community United Church of Christ or Marion General Hospice, and they may be sent to the care of the funeral home.
For those who are unable to attend, you may express your private condolences to Marguerite’s family online by visiting www.snyderfuneralhomes.com.
About Marion Online Obituaries
