Marjorie 'Marge' Kielkopf

MARJORIE L. KIELKOPF

Cedar Rapids

Marjorie "Marge" L. Kielkopf, 89, originally of Ottumwa, Iowa, and a longtime resident of Cedar Rapids, passed away of natural causes on May 10, 2022, at her home in San Tan Valley, Ariz.

Survivors include sons, Blaine, Mike (Mary) and Wayne (Linda); daughters, Carol (Paul) Crosby, and Nancy (Les) Grooms; and her adopted daughter, Whitney Baskett (Harmeet) Lidhar; and grandchildren, Matt (Mary-Catherine) Kielkopf, Derek and Dustin Kielkopf, Amy Cash, Anthony and Nicole Kielkopf, Mark (Terri) and Brent (Lindsey) Grooms, and Michelle (James) March. In addition to her husband Bill, Marge was preceded in death by her parents; the aunt and uncle who raised her, Helen and Joe Vest; and four brothers, Tom, Jeep, Bub and Art.

Marge was born in January 1933 in Ottumwa, the daughter of Helen Vance Howard and Arthur Howard. She married Bill Kielkopf of Ottumwa in 1949. He preceded her in death in 2015, at age 92, after 65 years of marriage.

Marge was one of the first girls in Iowa to be a newspaper carrier, delivering the Des Moines Register and collecting payment from 147 families. For that effort, she won a trip to Chicago and a flight in a Piper Cub.

She was a lifelong fan of the Iowa Hawkeyes and Chicago Cubs. She and Bill were season ticket holders for Iowa football and basketball for decades and traveled to Iowa bowl games from Jacksonville, Fla., to Atlanta, Ga., to Pasadena, Calif., and they made annual visits to Wrigley Field. She and Bill also visited Hawaii as well as London and Rome on the way to Abu Dhabi where Mike and Mary were teaching.

Marge also:

- Helped Bill lead the Southeast Iowa Square Dance Club in the 1950s.

- Attended every concert, game, and other activity her five children participated in.

- Excelled as a cook, homemaker, and interior decorator and loved gardening, all while raising five children.

- Worked in several factory jobs, retiring from Quaker Oats in Cedar Rapids, where her bosses called her the hardest worker they ever had.

- Played in the Quaker Oats softball and golf leagues and served as president of the golf league.

- Owned several cats and beagle dogs, including Dolly and Daisy. She loved caring for her animals, especially walking her dogs.

- Enjoyed telling stories of her youth, including when she and her friends would ride the railroad cars in the Ottumwa switchyard and dive off bridges into the Des Moines River.

Marge, tough but soft-hearted, was known for helping others and standing up for friends and coworkers who were being bullied.

In her final years, she was especially appreciative of her son Blaine who was her live-in caregiver. Blaine served as handyman, cook, gardener, driver, nurse, anything that his mom needed. She often said, "I never could have stayed in my own home without Blaine. He can do just about anything."

According to Marge's wishes, there will be no public celebration of life, but memorials may be sent to your local hospice, the Salvation Army or your local animal shelter.