Marlys Martins
Marlys R. Martins, 84, of Waukon passed away Sunday, March 15, 2026, at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse, WI, after some declining health issues for the past 18 months, followed by a brief illness. Memorial services were held Saturday, March 21 at Martin - Grau Funeral Home in Waukon with Tom Hollmann officiating. The family is requesting memorials be sent to the Waukon Wellness Center in Marlys’ name.
Marlys Roseann (Nolting) Martins was born June 8, 1941, to Albert Paul and Rosa Mary (Dee) Nolting at the Waukon Hospital, granddaughter to Anton and Martha (Klocke) Nolting and Berthold and Mary (Selberg) Dee. The only daughter and youngest of three children, Marlys spent her days on the family farm just east of Waukon until the age of four, at which she began attending the Elk Country School. She was the youngest of her kindergarten class as they needed one more student to join to keep the school open. Therefore, she was 16 years old when she graduated from Waukon High School with the Class of 1958, turning 17 years old one month after her graduation.
In the 1960s, she lived in Minneapolis, MN, to attend secretarial school, and she worked at the Acme Tag Company for a period of time before returning to northeast Iowa, where she married Duane Martins March 2, 1974. She was a homemaker on the Martins’ family farm while raising their three children.
She entered the workforce when her youngest child entered school. She worked at Swiss Valley Cheese Plant in St. Olaf and was known for being excellent with numbers, then later took a job at Land’s End in West Union, where she worked for the next 12 years. In 1997, she returned to her childhood home east of Waukon with Duane, where they have resided ever since.
Marlys enjoyed her daily trips to the Waukon Wellness Center to exercise and for the camaraderie, and also liked tending to her flowers and spending time with family. She was known for her famous Fudge Jumbles, homemade applesauce, and oatmeal-chocolate chip-raisin-applesauce cookies; her family could never get enough of them!
When given the opportunity, she enjoyed an afternoon of playing cards with friends, cheering for her Iowa Hawkeyes, doing a little dancing to some classic country music, or enjoying a Busch Light once in a great while. Weekends with her children and grandchildren playing games at the kitchen table, sneaking a Dove dark chocolate (or two) in for a snack, or watching some HGTV were some of Marlys’ favorite pastimes as well.
Marlys was a devout Jehovah’s Witness and was baptized in the faith November 16, 1985. She loved to visit with people about the Bible and God’s plan for us and looked forward to the time when there would be no more sickness or death when God’s Kingdom rules.
She is survived by her husband, Duane, of Waukon; three children: Lisa Martins of Plano, TX, Lynne Martins of Prairie du Chien, WI, and Lonnie (Elise) Martins of Luana; four grandchildren: Tristan (Megan) Martins of Lancaster, WI, Kelleigh Martins of Dubuque, Claire Martins of Iowa City, and Tyler Martins of Prairie du Chien, WI; one great-granddaughter, Sadie, and another great-grandchild due in September; a niece, Rev. Jan (Nolting) Carter, a great-nephew, Seth Carter, and a great-niece, Sarah Carter, all of Allentown, PA; and two sisters-in-law, Darlene (Martins) Nuehring of Postville and Della (Martins) Cowell of Luana.
Marlys was preceded in death by her parents; and her brothers, Leroy Nolting, and Leon and his wife, Anne Nolting.
The family would like to thank all of Marlys’ caregivers at Veterans Memorial Hospital, Gundersen (Emplify) Clinic in Waukon and Hospital in La Crosse, Northgate Care Center in Waukon, the support staff at the Waukon Wellness Center and Lori Hackman, and Celia Hollmann for her friendship and support.
Her grandchildren will serve as urnbearers. Online condolences may be left at www.martinfunerals.com.
