Marian Redlinger

MARIAN REDLINGER Harper Marian T. (Fritz) Redlinger, 93, of Solon, formerly of Harper, died Tuesday, March 3, 2015, at the Solon Care Center, where she had been a resident since 2010. Marian was born Nov. 13, 1921, in East Pleasant Plain, Iowa, one of eight children of Michael and Gertrude (Arndt) Fritz. She graduated from Brighton High School, attended the Ottumwa College of Teaching and was given a special war emergency certificate to teach on Dec. 21, 1944. She taught in country schools in the Germanville and Polishville areas during World War II. John and Marian met prior to World War II and they were married on Oct. 10, 1945, at St. Joseph's Catholic Church at East Pleasant Plain shortly after his discharge from the Army. The marriage spanned 67 years and was blessed with mutual love, respect and good times. They lived on a farm near Harper where Marian loved being a full-time homemaker. She baked, canned her home-grown vegetables and sewed for her family. Her favorite holiday was the Christmas season, when she made her own decorations and gave them to her family. Survivors include six children, Gary (Donna) Redlinger of Solon, Donna (Gary) Scheetz of Oxford, Janet Schrock of Solon, Mary Ellen (Bill) Barry of Fairfax, Dennis (Joni) Redlinger and Dean (Jeanene) Redlinger, both of Keota; 19 grand-children; 23 great-grandchildren; and brothers, Sylvester (Janet) Fritz of Brighton and Cletus (Beverly) Fritz of Fort Wayne, Ind. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, John; two sisters: Alice Redlinger and Loretta Schneider; four brothers, John, Walter, Robert and Richard Fritz in infancy; and great-grandson, Zachary. Funeral Mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, March 7, at Holy Trinity Parish - St. Mary Catholic Church in Keota with the Rev. Charles Fladung officiating. Burial will be at Holy Trinity Cemeteries - St. Elizabeth Cemetery in Harper. Visitation will be from 4 until 7 p.m. Friday, March 6, at Powell Funeral Home in Keota, where there will be a wake service at 4 p.m. A general memorial fund has been established. Powell Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Keota is caring for Marian and her family. Tributes may be emailed at www.powellfuneral homes.com.