Cover photo for Marilyn Ewoldt's Obituary
Marilyn Ewoldt Profile Photo
2015 Marilyn 2015

Marilyn Ewoldt

August 26, 2015 — August 26, 2015

IN LOVING MEMORY OF
MARILYN EWOLDT

BORN
October 4, 1926
OBrien County, Iowa

PASSED AWAY
August 26, 2015
Paullina, Iowa

MEMORIAL SERVICE
11:00 A.M. Saturday, September 5, 2015
First Presbyterian Church; Paullina, Iowa
Rev. John Duling Officiating

Visitation with the family present will be from 5 to 7 P.M.
Friday, September 4, 2015 at the
Eldridge Family Funeral Home in Paullina, Iowa.

MUSIC
Holy, Holy, Holy with Largo by Dvorak
How Great Thou Art
Pianist: Matthew Safley
CD Imagine by John Lennon CD
String of Pearls a favorite of Marilyn and her husband, Roy

CONGREGATIONAL HYMNS
Pg. 526 For All The Saints
Pg. 404 Take My Hand, Precious Lord by Thomas A. Dorsey
Organist: Barbara Wells

HONORARY CASKET BEARERS
Matthew Safley Erin Safley
Roy Ewoldt Melissa Ewoldt
Kristen Meinzer Dr. Allison Keyser-Buchanan

FINAL RESTING PLACE
Prairie View Cemetery
At a later date

Memorial may be directed to the family.

After todays service relatives and friends are invited to
join the family in the fellowship hall of the church.

Arrangements under the care of the
Eldridge Family Funeral Home; Paullina, Iowa

Marilyn (Hedin) Ewoldt
Obituary written by Marilyn, March 2012

Happy child, daughter, sister; eager student, questioning, searching; loving and devoted wife, mother; challenging teacher finding new domains in science, globally; God-loving Christian praising Jesus Christ with words and musicthis is and was my life.
Marilyn (Hedin) Ewoldt was born on October 4, 1926, in rural OBrien County. Her parents were Clarence and Margaret (Sundquist) Hedin. She had two brothers, Glen and Dale, and grew up on the family farm with her parents, brothers, her dog, Carlo, and horse, Dolly. She attended the Baker #5 elementary school (a one room school house) and loved hearing all of the lessons other students were learning. Sometimes, she was the only student in her class and could go as fast as she wanted. She went to high school in Paullina, Iowa, graduating in 1943. Marilyn chose Drake University in Des Moines to continue her quest for knowledge in the science area. She became a member of Chi Omega social sorority (2015 became a 70 year member), Beta Beta Beta biology fraternity, and Delta Phi Alpha German fraternity. Marilyn graduated in May 1947, with a pre-med degree. On June 22nd of that year, she married Roy Ewoldt (her high school best friend) and that fall she became a high school teacher of science and English, directed plays, and taught girls physical education at Paullina High School. After two years, she retired to become a housewife and an at-home-mom to four childrenLaurie, Holli, Bill, and David. For the next decade, Marilyn gave piano lessons and learned to play the organ. She soon became an organist for the Presbyterian Church in Paullina. As her children approached college age, Marilyn returned to teaching high school in nearby Primghar where her husband and his brother operated a Chevrolet dealership and garage. Again she was teaching biology, chemistry, physics and English courses. One job she really loved was cheerleader and pep club sponsor. During the 1980s there was a rising interest in space travel and Marilyn became an applicant for a teacher in space program but was not chosen. She watched on TV with her students as the Challenger was launched with the winning teacher aboard, and then the spacecraft exploded. This event made a lasting impression on her and she vowed to somehow remember the astronauts and teacher who lost their lives that day. Small town high schools were losing students and made joining together a necessityPaullina, Primghar, and nearby Sutherland united and formed the South OBrien School District. Once more, Marilyn was teaching in Paullina. She had a position added to her schedule, teaching science courses to high school seniors for college credit from Northwest Iowa Community College. She planned to retire from high school teaching in 1993 and in the fall of 1992, she asked the teachers of the district to plan something in their curriculum about space. She applied for and received an Eisenhower grant to support her project. Her physics class built a space shuttle and two astronauts were chosen from each high school class. Astronauts planned their space travel activities and menus. They were going to make a stop off at Mars and included in their plans how to cope with aliens. A late March day was chosen, so that the school gym would be free from basketball games, because the shuttle was going to be launched from there. Some local politicians were invited. Channel 4 from Sioux City was notified. The day arrived, the band was ready to play, a young man was selected to make introductions, and as the people came in the gym, the band played Fly Me to the Moon. The gym was packed! The astronauts were introduced and the next three days events were outlined for the crowd. Computers would be used for communications; home-ec students would provide the food; teachers volunteered to stay during the three-day flight in case of emergencies. The astronauts would sleep in the shuttle and would use bathrooms near the gym. The event was successful and aliens did show up when they landed on Mars! We are sure each of the participants will remember this experience and Marilyn was pleased with the results. Until 2007, Marilyn continued to teach college chemistry, anatomy and physiology, and microbiology for NCC at South OBrien High School.
Marilyn was a member of the First Presbyterian Church where she was an organist for more than 60 years. She was also a 64-year member of P.E.O. and belonged to Delta Kappa Gamma. She passed away at her home on August 26, 2015, reaching the young age of 88 years, 10 months and 22 days.
Mom-grandma-great grams Marilyn is survived by her daughter, Holli (Dr. Bill) Safley; grandchildren, Matt Safley, Erin Safley (fianc, Mike Drew), Roy (Lindsy) Ewoldt, Melissa Ewoldt (Erik Norgren), Kristen (Derek) Meinzer, Drs. Allison (Ed) Buchanan; great grandchildren, Ryder and Reece Meinzer, Ella Mae Ewoldt; son-in-law, Dick Keyser; AFS son, Jan Henry Melhus; and brother and sisterin-law, James and JoAnn Ewoldt.
She was preceded in death by husband, Roy; daughter, Laurie; sons, Bill and David; and many other friends and relatives.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Marilyn Ewoldt, please visit our flower store.

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