Marlene Ohiyon

Marlene Joann Ohiyon went to heaven on January 11, 2025. At the time of her passing she lived at Whitefish at the Lakes in Crosslake, MN. Previous to moving there, she lived at Shorewood Senior Living in Rochester, MN.

Marlene was born in Callender, IA on September 25, 1936, to Floyd and Irene (Ladwig) Spirek. She graduated from Callender High School in 1954. On September 5, 1955, she was united in marriage to Daryl Harry Graves at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Callender.

Marlene was a great supporter and teammate to Daryl in the various businesses he was in over the course of his life. She was active in church… teaching Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, and having at one time been the conference president for the ALCW of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Kasson, MN. Most recently she was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Rochester, MN. She had a scroll ministry, giving scrolls to mark special occasions and holidays, and her “signature” scroll: You are Special. Marlene was very much a people person and was always a joyful and cheerful giver. She enjoyed donating to faith based organizations and she always wanted anyone who visited her to leave with something she thought they would enjoy. She loved reading her Bible and devotions and loved and adored every member of her family and friends. She was so thankful for her Christian upbringing and was deeply committed to her faith and truly was “Faithful unto death.” Marlene was always a loving and devoted wife, a wonderful mother and grandmother and was greatly loved. She will be missed immensely by all who knew her.

Remaining to cherish Marlene’s memory include her two daughters, Sheri (Keith) Gore of Outing, and Gail (Ronnie) Hrtanek of Kasson; 7 grandchildren: Wendy (J.J.), Zachary (Caitlin), Alexander (Anni), Corey, Tyler, Kyra, and Tony; and 16 great grandchildren: Adeline, Geoffrey, Luke, Noah, Jude, Atlas, Atom, Piper, Brynn, Jeric, Hagen, Bentley, Jaxson, James, Abel, and Avery; sisters Claudia Conrad, Sandie (Randy) Hansen; brother Craig (Cris) Spirek; brother-in-law Larry (Alexia) Graves; and sister-in-law Jackie Graves.

Preceding her in death were her parents, Floyd and Irene Spirek; mother-in-law, Gwendolyn Beckfield; father-in-law, Harry Ehlert; her husbands (Daryl Graves, Richard Olson, and Jacob Ohiyon); her son Brian Graves; sister and brother-in-law, Joyce and Victor Gensmer; brother-in-law, Kenneth Conrad; and great granddaughter, Mattison.

We would like to express our utmost gratitude to the staff at Whitefish at the Lakes and to the staff at St. Croix Hospice for their loving kindness, care, comfort and support that they provided to Marlene.

A celebration of Marlene’s life is being planned for a later date.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the Brenny Family Funeral Chapel, Crosslake.