Marlyce Lillie

Marlyce (Luetschwager) Lillie, age 86, passed away from COVID on October 25, 2020, after a brief hospital stay.  She was a lifelong resident of the Wausau area.

She is survived by her husband, Jerome Lillie, and her children: Keith Lillie, Kim (Lillie) McAdams (Joe), Kay (Lillie) McMahon (Tim), Kevin Lillie (Diane), and Kathy Lillie.  In addition, she was blessed with 10 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.

Marlyce and Jerome began as acquaintances, then becoming teenage sweethearts.  They were married in 1953 and recently celebrated their 67th wedding anniversary.

Marlyce spent most of her childhood on the multi-generational family farm on McIntosh Road.  Early in her marriage she and Jerome moved back to that farm with their young family which would expand to five children by the time they left the farm in 1967.  The couple bought a home near the old Wausau East High School and there they would raise the five K’s in a challenging, hair-raising, sometimes exhausting, but always fun-filled and loving family.

Throughout her life, Marlyce’s greatest joy was always her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.  Big holidays were extra special as all five children and their extensive families would try to be present at the same time.  Numbering nearly 20 people early on and more recently over 30, the gatherings were fun and noisy, and always included plenty of great made-from-scratch food.

While Marlyce worked outside the home periodically, her greatest passion was helping raise her family.  She spent many years happily assisting in the care of her grandchildren and even some of her great-grandchildren.  The result of that dedication was two generations of kids who eagerly begged their parents to visit or sleepover at Grandma and Grandpa Lillie’s house.

After Jerome’s retirement, they traveled the western states a bit before buying a hobby farm between Merrill and Medford and settled into some of the happiest days of their lives as the large family spent holidays and summer vacation weeks living with them on the farm.  Marlyce and Jerome enjoyed the great fellowship of the Taylor County Senior Lunch program, making many new and dear friends.  When the farm work became too much to handle and the distance to family was too far, they moved to the Mosinee area where Marlyce and Jerome continued to surround themselves with their large, loving family.

Marlyce was preceeded in death by her father, Harvey Luetschwager, mother, Pearl (Helke) Luetschwager, brothers, James Luetschwager and Harvey D. Luetschwager, and her sister Nancy (Luetschwager) Thiele.

The funeral service will be celebrated at 11:30 am on Saturday, October 31, 2020, at Covenant Community Presbyterian Church, 1806 Weston Ave., Schofield, WI.  Pastor Jim Gates will officiate.  Visitation will be from 11:00 to 11:30 am.  Masks and social distancing are required.  The service will be streamed live on covenantcommunitypc.com.  Helke Funeral Home oversees the arrangements. Online condolences and words of remembrance can be given at www.helke.com