Marilyn Mahling

Marilyn Mahling, 81, of Randall died Wednesday, March 25, 2009 at St. Gabriels Hospital in Little Falls, MN. Services for Marilyn will be 11 AM, Monday, March 30, 2009 at the St. James Catholic Church in Randall. There will be a visitation Sunday afternoon from 2-4 PM at the Brenny Funeral Chapel of Randall. Interment will follow services at St. James Catholic Cemetery.
Marilyn Ida (Gosch) Mahling was born in Little Falls, MN on August 14, 1927, the daughter of Henry and Marguerite (Evans) Gosch. She attended school in Randall and graduated from Little Falls High School in 1945 before attending St. Cloud State University. She married Robert James Mahling February 15, 1947. She was a lifelong resident of Randall. She was a homemaker and part-time employee of Goschs store when her children were young, then worked as a paraprofessional for 14 years at Lincoln School and Dr. S.G. Knight School. She also wrote a recipe column for the Little Falls Daily Transcript for several years.

She was a long time member of the Board of Directors for the Morrison County DAC, a member of St. James Catholic Church where she served in many capacities over the years, and a member of the St. Francis Xavier Mission Circle. She and Bob also charted St. James Cemetery and two other cemeteries for the Morrison County Historical Society.

She enjoyed traveling; she visited many countries including Scandinavia, Europe, China, and most of the United States. She was also interested in geneology. She and Bob spent about ten years researching their family trees. She self-published a book of her fathers family: The Gosch Pettit Story for her family, where she gave the history of Hans and Ida Gosch who started Goschs store in 1902. It also included the history of Hans invention of the road drag, which is now on display at the Morrison County Fair Grounds. She enjoyed fishing, pheasant hunting, reading, auctions, and, of course, spending time with her family and friends.

She is survived by her husband of sixty-two years, Bob; her sons, Michael (Laurie) Mahling, of Pierz and Robert M. (Claire) Mahling, of Cushing; daughters, Marilyn Mahling, of Little Falls, Joanna (Brad) Koenen, of Hutchinson, and Elizabeth (Leonard) Wheeler, of Brainerd; seven grandchildren, Gerhardt (Ping Chen)Mahling, Paul Mahling, Stefan Mahling, Reba Koenen, and Amanda, Katherine and Daniel Wheeler; one great-grandchild, Ayden Wheeler; and a sister, Margie Riitters, of Little Falls, MN. She was preceded iin death by her parents and sisters, Lucile Lewis and Elaine Larson.