Marlene Oltmanns was born in Perry, Oklahoma on November 1, 1935 to Emil and Alvina Beier (“In Memory of Marlene Oltmanns”) . Her parents had come to America from Germany to escape religious persecution and Marlene and her siblings became the first generation of her family to be born here in the United States. She was the sister of 8 other siblings and the house they lived in had no indoor plumbing until the late 20th century. She was raised to be a housewife, but she definitely did not grow up to be only a wife and mother. Marlene put her family first, but she also had a career and was very active in the community. Marlene was loved by many people and those who met her saw her dedication, strength, and love that she radiated out into the world. She joined many clubs and organizations and was very active in the church where she ended up meeting her husband, Karl. Marlene’s defining characteristics was her strong, loving heart and her ability to never take life too seriously and have a good time. Even in Marlene’s last few day, she …show more content…
When she went through chemo for the last time and her hair was starting to go, Karl and she went for a walk and out of nowhere she took off running and started to pull off her hair, letting it blow off in the breeze. She took whatever the universe threw at her, she knew that it was all in God’s plan. She accepted her fate with a smile on her face and love in her heart. After her hair was finally gone and she bought a wig to wear, she still faced life with a happy heart. One of her grandchildren was playing with an umbrella, opening and closing it, when suddenly the end of the umbrella caught her wig and took it off. Instead of being angry or embarrassed, Marlene just started laughing (Oltmanns). This ability to take whatever life handed to her is in direct relation her faith. She trusted in God and knew that whatever may happen that she was in good hands