Marley Reeves

Marley Reeves, age 92 passed away Monday June 30, 2025 at Lakeview Methodist Care Center in Fairmont. A memorial service will be held at 11am Friday July 11th at Patton Funeral Home. Visitation will be an hour before the service. A private family burial will be at Pleasant Mound Cemetery in Carlos, MN.

Marley Eldeen (Holt) Reeves. Daughter, sister, mother, aunt, good friend – but most of all, a child of God. And she took it seriously! Her idea of fun was playing cards or putting together a puzzle. Nothing more than that. She attended church every chance she got just to hear the Gospel – there was no such thing as too much church.

 Born in Todd County MN on January 5, 1933, to Oren and Margaret Holt, she was their first daughter. Her brother Joyce welcomed her home; sisters Ethel, Irma, Bonnie and brother Roger followed. Marley remembers the night her dad walked the floor with Roger (not quite age 2) while brother Joyce braved a snowstorm to fetch the doctor. Roger passed peacefully in his Dad’s arms while big sis cried on his shoulder.

As a young gal, Marley attended country schools. She recalled that for fun, she would wait patiently for the neighbors to finish reading the newspaper and then give it to her folks – who in time would give it to her. She would rip it into strips and roll it up into a ball to play with; then straighten out the strips and do it all again.

After high school in 1950, she married her true love, Gaylen Reeves, six years her senior. They moved to Albert Lea MN and joined the Assemblies of God Church. They started their family immediately - as did most newlyweds of that era. Sheila, Debra, Dawn, Delwin, and Byron between 1951 and 1958. It was painfully hard on the couple to lose Delwin at birth on Valentine’s Day 1955, but God had a plan. In 1966 and 1967, two “volunteers” arrived – Joey and Morray. Joey arrived on Delwin’s birthday, Valentine’s Day 1966.

In February 1968, the rented farmhouse the family lived in started on fire by overheated pipes (the entire house was heated by wood stoves). It was a total loss, which meant moving. And move they did, to a five-bedroom house in Bricelyn MN. (The kids thought it was the best move ever! They were right in town, had a swimming pool, there were two cafes, and Gaylen had purchased a double-bike!) They joined the First Baptist Church and remained members until it closed. Marley worked at the Owatonna Canning Company during the seasons and at Bud’s Café from time to time. She also babysat kids and grandkids, and boy, she was loved by those kids!

Marley always loved to bake, but she switched to making lefse with her good friend Lynette when the ”volunteers” graduated high school and left home. Gaylen was the official lefse flipper. Marley’s arms had some pretty good muscles from using that rolling pin. Her Harley riding grandson, Jeff, gave her the nickname gnarly Marley (Rides A Harley) during that time. Jeff couldn’t leave out Grampa Gaylen, so he called him Hong Kong Gaylen (Number 1 Super Guy).

After many years in Bricelyn, Marley and Gaylen moved to Blue Earth where they attended Cornerstone E-Free Church. First to an apartment, then to New Life Manor, then to assisted living (where Gaylen went to be with the Lord in 2016). Their good friend Eddie Ekstrand would often accuse them of following her (which they pretty much did!). Marley continued to live there until she was transferred to Lakeview in 2023 (where Eddie was, of course).

Marley is survived by her kids: Sheila (Ronald Roth), Debra (James Kadlecik), Dawn (Paul Leland), Byron, Joey (Ruth Hartwigsen), and Morray (Allen Aukes); sisters Irma Holt, Ethel Lissick, and Bonnie Vanderschaegen; and her 16 grandkids (Carla, Jackie, Rhonda, Carl, Tom, Katie, Kim, Jeff, Sarah, Evelyn, Christopher, Grace, Monica, Marissa, Kelly, and Anna). She also leaves behind 25 great-grandkids and 11 great-great-grandkids. Her family will forever remember her sweet disposition and wonderful lefse.

Marley was preceded in death by her husband Gaylen and son Delwin, her parents, brothers Joyce and Roger, her in-laws, some nieces and nephews, and many good friends. Marley knew that death was a part of God’s plan, but still each one was hard for her and always brought tears and prayers.

We have so much gratitude for Mom’s faithful friends that have been a part of her life. You can most certainly rejoice with us in knowing that Mom and Dad are reunited at last, walking the golden streets of heaven (well, they might be on a double-bike) and knowing with certainty that all of their kids will join them someday.