Marlene Dorothy was born on Tuesday, May 7, 1940, in Hanover to proud parents Wilbert William John and Elda Marie (Schlorff) Musehl. She was the eldest of three girls, with younger sisters, Joan (1942) and Elaine (1948) completing the family. The Musehls resided on a mixed farm on the 12^th of Brant where the girls attended S.S. #12, Brant (Thaler’s School). Being the oldest, Marlene was tasked with helping her parents a great deal around the farm. She assisted with everything from housework, to helping care for her younger sisters, as well as chores, and helping her dad with tractor and harvest work. Marlene went on to complete her high school diploma at Chesley District High School.

The Musehl family were faithful members of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Elmwood. Here, Marlene was baptized, confirmed, and attended Luther League as a teenager. It was during this period that a neighbour boy by the name of Clarence William Lorenz entered her life. Clarence enjoyed Luther League as well and often gave Marlene a ride to these events. The two soon began dating. However, Marlene was determined to further her education and become a teacher.  She took to pursuing both. Following graduation from high school, Marlene completed two months of summer school before taking her first school placement at a school in Bognor. When the opportunity arose, she took a position back closer to home and continued her teaching career at S.S. #6 Brant. In those days, you gained teaching experience before heading off to Normal School (Teacher’s College) in Stratford.  Here, she roomed with another Elmwood local, Heather Jackson (Hewitson). By this time, Marlene and Clarence were engaged to marry, and she returned home upon completion of her formal education.

Clarence and Marlene were married on Saturday, June 11, 1960, at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Elmwood. Clarence had spent months renovating and upgrading their first home which was located on the 12^th of Brant. By this time Marlene was teaching in Vesta, only a short distance from home. Together, they welcomed their first son Jeff in 1962, with Doug joining the family a couple years later in 1964. Given the time, it was not the norm for a woman to return to teaching after starting her family. There was no such thing as maternity leave when teaching in a one room schoolhouse. However, Marlene was prepared to pave her own way and create a career for herself, so she returned to teaching when Jeff began school in 1967. At this time, Brant Central Public School was being constructed and expected to open in September of 1968. Therefore, the school board began dividing children into primary, junior and senior the year prior to preparing this move, whereby Marlene had grades 4,5, and 6 at SS#6. The following September, Brant Central was not ready to receive students on the first day.  This caused much additional stress and strife in the first couple of months until the school was able to accommodate all students at the end of October. By this time Marlene was pregnant with Janice, and as mentioned earlier, maternity leave was unheard of in those days. Luckily the School Board gave her three months off (February, March, and April). Janice was born in March 1969, making their family complete. Marlene returned to teaching in June, and continued her career for the next 25 years.  During this period, Marlene regularly looked to improve herself, as she enrolled in a variety of night classes and summer school programs. Through the years, she educated and supported many students in Grades 2 and 3, and enjoyed being part of a small portion of their lives. Marlene retired in 1994 at the age of 54 and was the last surviving teacher from the first year of Brant Central School.

When the kids were small, life was very busy.  Marlene was working full time and Clarence was farming. Fridays were always highlights for the kids, as mom would head to town to grocery shop, and they would be given $0.25 each to buy candy or a comic book. In the summer months the Lorenz family spent valuable family time at the trailer in Port Elgin, where many memories were made.  Back at home, Marlene could often be found working out in her flowerbeds. She loved spending time outdoors and was meticulous when it came to her gardening. Her specialty, and favourite, were her red geraniums, a staple at the Lorenz Homestead. Together with Clarence, they also enjoyed partaking in local dances, and house parties, which were popular at the time, with family, friends, and neighbours. In 1991, Clarence and Marlene completed building their retirement home, soon settling in. Once again, Marlene took great pride in establishing her beautiful flowerbeds.   Clarence and Marlene were not big travellers but managed to take the kids on the Chi Cheemaun to Northern Ontario and to Niagara Falls.  They also went on a few trips with Merv and Bev Leifso to Florida for some rest and relaxation.  In later years they enjoyed travelling west to visit Jeff and his family. Marlene was an avid reader and a regular at the local libraries. She enjoyed her romance novels, with Janet Daley and Danielle Steele being favourites. In more recent years, Marlene was thankful for the big print versions, as it allowed her to continue to enjoy a beloved pastime. We cannot talk about Marlene’s life without mentioning her affection for cats. Throughout much of her life, Marlene always enjoyed the company of a feline, which kept her company after the kids left home and with Clarence spending long hours out on the farm.

In her retirement, Marlene enjoyed spending any time she could with her grandchildren. Often Doug’s children took the back laneway to Grandma’s whereby they enjoyed entertaining each other. In the evenings, Marlene often spent time on the phone talking to friends and family, as well as watching her regular TV programs. She had a schedule (just ask Jeff), who on more than one occasion had to call back as to not interrupt mom and the program she was watching. All joking aside, Marlene loved her family dearly and always encouraged them with her traditional values. Education and faith were always very important to her, as she was a life-long member of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Elmwood. In addition to attending weekly, Marlene always helped where she could and was a proud member of the ELW, where she enjoyed socializing with the other women and quilting.

After a few months of supporting Clarence, and his declining health, she lost the love of her life in 2016.  This period of life was difficult for Marlene.  However, she had the love and support of her family and friends, and soon transitioned into a new normal. She continued to keep busy gardening, reading, and catching up with friends, but decided to downsize in the fall of 2021 and moved to a smaller, more manageable living space in Chesley. Like all of us, our health eventually catches up to us, and the difficult decision was made last month to relocate Marlene to McVean Lodge in Hanover for more support and care. Unfortunately, she experienced a fall last week, and her condition declined quickly in recent days. She passed away with her family by her side at Brightshores Health System Owen Sound on Thursday, October 17, 2024, in her 85^th year.

Cherished mother of Jeff (Corry), Doug (Susan) and Janice (Michael) Hartman. Cherished grandmother of Melissa Lorenz, Nicole (Jeff) Lembke, Aaron and Amy Lorenz and great-grandmother of Olivia, Kaleb, Noah, and Clare. Marlene will be dearly missed by her sisters Joan Erwin and Elaine (Clark) Francis and sister-in-law Marion Golem and their families. Marlene was predeceased by her husband Clarence (2016), grandchildren Brent Lorenz and Rebecca Lorenz, nephew Thomas Francis, brother-in-law Bob Erwin and her parents Wilbert and Elda (Schlorff) Musehl.

Visitation will be held at Rhody Family Funeral Home, Chesley on Tuesday from 5 – 8 p.m. A funeral service honouring Marlene’s life will be held at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Elmwood on Wednesday, October 23, 2024, at 11 a.m. Interment in St. John’s Lutheran Cemetery, Elmwood.

Memorial donations to St. John’s Lutheran Church or the Heart & Stroke Foundation would be appreciated as expressions of sympathy.