Marilyn Jean (Riffle) Zerkel

Marilyn Jean (Riffle) Zerkel, age 86 of St. Marys, Ohio passed away on Monday Feb. 12, 2018 at the Joint Township District Memorial Hospital in St. Marys. She was born on Oct. 21, 1931 in Lima, Ohio to the late Howard and Lola (Risley) Riffle. On Aug. 2, 1968 in Elida, Ohio, she married M. K. “Zeke” Zerkel, who lives in St. Marys. Also surviving are her three sons Scott (Gay) Zerkel of Celina, Steve (Beth) Zerkel of Medford, OR, and Shannon (Sherri) Zerkel of Tonopah, AZ, nine grandchildren and six great grandchildren. Also surviving are two brothers Neil (Linda) Riffle and Chuck (Ann) Riffle of Elida and three sisters Shirley Joseph and Joyce Brown both live in Lima and Barbara Smith of Richardson, TX., Sister-in-law Loretta Riffle of Spencerville and Pam Riffle of Elida. Marilyn was preceded in death by her parents, two brothers Bill Riffle, Pete Riffle and her sister-in-law Charlotte (Zerkel) Holtzapple. Marilyn graduated from Shawnee High School in 1949 and was a member of the Ethan Allen Honor Society. She helped plan and coordinate the Class of 1949 Reunions for sixty years. She was employed as a secretary for ten years by McLaughlin & Keil Architects in Lima; for fifteen years by Lyman J. Strong and Associates Architects in lima. Marilyn then worked for Dr. George McIlroy in Celina for three years before she retired. After retirement, she did volunteer work at churches in Celina, Indianapolis, Houston, San Antonio and West Palm Beach, Florida and at Carmel St. Vincent Hospital, Carmel, IN and at the American Cancer Society in El Centro, CA. She was a member of the Grand Lake United Methodist Church in Celina and was a member of the Women’s Group, the Celina History Club and the Emmaus Walk Share Group in Celina. She loved the Cincinnati Reds and enjoyed reading, writing letters, sending cards and her cat Sissy. Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. on Friday Feb. 16, 2018 at the Grand Lake United Methodist Church in Celina, with Rev. Diane Mendelson officiating. Burial will follow in the Greenlawn Cemetery in Elida, Ohio. Friends may call from 4-7p.m. on Thursday Feb. 15, 2018 at the Lehman-Dzendzel Funeral Home and from 9:30a.m.-10:30a.m. on Friday, at the Church. Memorial contributions may be made to the Grand Lake United Methodist Church in Celina. Condolences may be left at LehmanDzendzelFH.com.

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