Marie Ella Dierks, 93, of Houston, Texas, formerly of Dubuque, Iowa, passed away on June 26, 2024, at Eagle’s Trace Senior Living in Houston, Texas.

Visitation will be from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Friday, July 5th, 2024, at Leonard Funeral Home & Crematory, 2595 Rockdale Road with a Rosary to be said by Jim Foust at 5:45 p.m.

Catholic Mass and Burial will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 6th, 2024, at St. Joseph Key West Church with Fr. Martin Obeng officiating. Entombment will follow at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Dubuque, Iowa.

Marie was born on October 17, 1930, in Bellevue, Iowa at the family farm, the second daughter and third child of James C. and Catherine C. (Entringer) Dunne. She attended two years of business school in Dubuque and later received her GRI (Graduate, REALTOR® Institute) and CRS (Certified Residential Specialist).

Marie was an accomplished and passionate real estate agent. She was first licensed in 1979 in New Hampshire before moving to Texas in 1983. At the peak of her career, Marie was recognized as the #1 real estate agent at Coldwell Banker either regionally or at the state level during a five-year period spanning 1991 to 1995. She worked at Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate before retiring at 85 years old, when she could no longer drive at her preferred speed.

She was united in marriage to her loving husband Robert O. Dierks on July 20, 1959, at St. Mary Catholic Church in Dubuque. They resided in Iowa, before work brought them to Wichita, Kansas; Amherst, New Hampshire; and Spring, Texas, where they lived together the longest.

Marie was active with her Church and civic communities throughout her life. She was the longtime primary sponsor of the July Fourth parade and fireworks show in Northwest Houston. With her husband, her philanthropy included the Church, education, and medicine. She was a lifelong fan of the Green Bay Packers and a devoted follower of Duke Blue Devil basketball.

Marie is survived by her husband Robert; sons Stephen and Michael; daughters-in-laws Leslie and Suein Hwang, and grandchildren Henning, Graeme, Kaya, and Kian.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her brothers Martin Dunne and William Dunne, both of Dubuque, and sister Geraldine Foust of Zwingle, Iowa.