Marlene M. Vircks

Marlene Marie Vircks, age 72, died on Wednesday, November 2, 2022 with her family by her side. She fought a long and courageous battle with Parkinson’s Disease and Ovarian cancer. We will miss her smile, her beautiful singing voice, her flower gardens, her lasagna, her family traditions, and her hugs. She was the glue that held our family together and life will never be the same.

She was born on July 31, 1950 in Chippewa Falls to the late Walter and Polly (Badzinski) Szczech. She graduated from Thorp High School in 1968 and moved to Milwaukee to enter the workforce. She was married to Gerald Vircks on September 18, 1971 and the couple moved back to Thorp in 1972. Life changed course and they moved to Stevens Point in 1981 with their two daughters.

After moving to Stevens Point, she managed the Copy Center for many years, worked as an office manager at local accounting offices and CAP services, served her community by working for FEMA, and finished her career at First Law Group. At times she worked 2 jobs and taught her daughters the value of hard work.

She was involved in Stevens Point Jaycettes, Sentry Singers, Wisla Polish Folk Dancing group, Central Wisconsin Community Theater, Wisconsin Master Chorale, and several catholic church choirs, most recently at St Joseph’s in Stevens Point. She was a talented florist and gardener and had her beautiful yard featured in the 2001 Parade of Gardens. She was a skilled seamstress and spent countless hours behind her sewing machine making clothes, formal dresses, bridesmaid dresses, and costumes. After retirement, she realized her passion for painting and established her business, Barn Quilts by Marlene. Her one-of-a-kind, original artwork is featured on hundreds of homes across the U.S.

Her pride and joy, besides her daughters Sharilyn and Amanda, were her 2 grandsons Carson and Carter. When she was still able to, she would travel to their concerts, school, and sporting events, and take them on “Grandma date nights”. She did countless crafts and projects with them and taught them to cook and bake.

She is survived by her loving husband of 51 years, Gerald; her daughters Sharilyn Lord of Milwaukee; Amanda Yenter (Jason Tree) of Plover; grandsons Carson Yenter and Carter Lord; brother Daniel (Anne) Szczech of Greenwood, WI; several brothers and sisters-in-law; many nieces, nephews and cousins; and countless friends. She was preceded in death by her father Walter and mother Polly, her sister Laurie, her brother Jerome, sister-in-law Mary Vircks, brother-in-law Clarence Seichter,

and many other special friends and family members.

Special thanks to the staff at Willow Brooke Assisted Living and Promedica Hospice for the compassionate care they provided mom over the last few weeks of her life.

A Celebration of Life service will be held at St Joseph’s Catholic Church, 1709 Wyatt Ave, Stevens Point on Saturday, November 19, 2022 at 10:30 AM. Visitation will take place at the church from 9:30 AM to the time of the service. Inurnment will take place at St Paul’s Lutheran Cemetery immediately following the service.