Marilyn Wasson, 70

Marilyn Wasson, 70, of Land O’ Lakes, left this earthly world on Saturday, March 14, 2009, at Angels Grace Hospice in Oconomowoc after a two-year and nine-month battle with cancer. 
 

Marilyn was born at home in Germantown on Aug. 18, 1938, the fourth of five children born to LeRoy and Gertrude (Tischer) Roeber.  She was baptized and confirmed at David Star Lutheran Church and School, in the settlement of Kirchhayn in Washington County. She attended Victory Center School in Germantown until the fourth grade. She then attended school at David Star, where she graduated the eighth grade. She graduated high school in 1956 and received a teaching certificate in 1959 from Doctor Martin Luther Preparatory School and College in New Ulm, Minn. Following college Marilyn taught school at Emanuel Lutheran School in Flint, Mich., and at Trinity Lutheran School in Friestadt.
 

Marilyn married Ronald H. Schoessow, a long-time family acquaintance, on July 31, 1960.  They had three children: Mark, Kevin and Kim. In addition to helping raise a family, Marilyn held a variety of jobs at Homestead High School in Mequon and Hartford Union High School in Hartford.  After moving to Land O’ Lakes in 1980, Marilyn worked in various clerical, retail, and restaurant positions. For many years she worked at the Land O’ Lakes Pharmacy.
 

Recognizing their lives had gone different directions Marilyn and Ron divorced, but remained friends. In 1989 Marilyn married Lonny Wasson of Land O’ Lakes.
 

Marilyn pursued many hobbies and interests. She enjoyed sewing, quilting, weaving, and bead work. She was an avid reader and gardener, and had a special love of baking and gourmet cooking.  She loved the outdoors and the north woods, taking up camping, cross country skiing, hunting, fishing and exploring Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.  She was also a founding member of the Women on Snow, a snowmobile touring and advocacy group, which has been inducted into the snowmobile hall of fame in Eagle River.  She was a member of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Eagle River.
 

Marilyn had a zest for life and adventure and a great sense of humor. Throughout her life she was always willing to try something new and different. She took guitar, belly dance and swim lessons, drove motorcycle, square danced, learned macramé, taught herself to sew and made many of her own clothes and clothes for her family. Over the years she played organ for various churches. She shot trap, rode horses, raised goats, chickens and even a llama. Picking wild berries and wild mushrooms was another interest, as was tapping maple trees and making maple syrup. 
 

Her love of cooking and baking provided not only employment, but also an opportunity to explore many culinary dining experiences and several culinary trips to Milwaukee and Chicago, with her friends. She loved to cook homemade meals and was an avid fan of the cooking channel.
 

She was preceded in death by her parents, LeRoy Roeber and Gertrude (Tischer) Roeber; a brother- and sister-in-law, Oliver (Claudia) Roeber, and a sister- and brother-in-law, Betty (Harold) Garbish. 
 

She is survived by two sisters, Shirley (Louis) Hilgendorf of Cedarburg and Sharon Stauske of West Bend; and children Mark (Sandi) Schoessow of Fort Atkinson, Kevin (Gwen) Schoessow of Spooner and Kim (Robert) Kravitz of Waukesha;  six grandchildren, Aaron (Ashley) Adsit of Illinois, Andy Adsit of Palmyra, Adam Adsit of Fort Atkinson, Alex and Anna Kravitz of Waukesha and Emma Schoessow of Spooner; and three great-grandchildren, Allisyn, Abbigail and Ashlin.  She is further survived by numerous family and friends. 

Visitation will be at Ascension Lutheran Church, 1415 Dopp St., Waukesha, on Friday, April 3, 2009, at 5 p.m. A sharing of memories service will be held at 7 p.m. An additional memorial is planned in Land O’Lakes for Saturday, April 18, 2009, at  11 a.m. and will include visitation and a sharing of memories service and a luncheon to follow.
 

A special thank you to the staff at Angels Grace Hospice for the care and compassion given to Marilyn and her family.
 

Memorial contributions to Angels Grace Hospice W359-N7430 Brown Street Oconomowoc, WI 53066, or through the ProHealth Care Web site at http://www.phchomehospice.org would be appreciated.
 

Marilyn’s smiling face, sense of humor, and thoughtfulness will never be forgotten. 
 

She went through life with a smile and a kind word for everyone.