Marian Zick

Marian E. Zick, 95, formerly of Roberts but residing until her death at Villas of Holly Brook, Gibson City, passed away on April 26, 2023. Funeral services will be 11:00 am Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Roberts, with Pastors Matt and Priscilla Geerdes officiating. Visitation will be for one hour prior to the services at the church.  Burial will be at Ridgeland Township Cemetery, Thawville, Illinois, next to her beloved husband, Wayne Zick.

Marian was born on a farm northwest of Gilman on February 16, 1928, the sixth child of Frank and Laura Anderson Zeedyk. She was baptized, confirmed, and married at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Gilman. She graduated from Thawville High School in 1945.  In August of 1948, she married Wayne Zick of Thawville; they raised their family on the farm, and attended St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Thawville. Wayne passed away in 1999.

Wayne and Marian were blessed with 3 children: Susan Gay Merkle, Jeffrey Van (Barbara) Zick, and Laura Ann (John) Bottorff. Grandchildren are Reagan (Eric) Litteken of Mahomet; Alexander (Nicole) Merkle of Tolono; Gregory (Rachel) Zick of Thawville; Courtney (Tony) Swenson of Zumbrota, Minnesota; Julia (Clint) Cocagne of Mahomet; and Suzanne (Ryan) Wrasse of Silver Spring, MD. Great-grandchildren are Hailey and Hayden Litteken, Ellery and Finn Merkle, Haleigh and Leigha Walters, Jett Zick, Hazel and Everett Swenson, Cameron Cocagne and John Ryan Wrasse. 

Preceding her in death were her husband, Wayne; her son, Jeffrey; and her siblings Ruth Elliott, Hazel Shumway, Russell Zeedyk, Marjorie Zick and Delores Tilstra. In addition to her surviving family, she is survived by her sister, Frances Lee of Onarga.

Marian was a hard-working farm wife. She milked cows, drove tractors in the field and trucks to haul grain to elevators. She maintained an enviable flower and vegetable garden and canned vegetables and fruit that fed and brought joy to many people.  She worked for the Red Cross Blood Mobile efforts by organizing and hosting Blood Drives in Gilman, Onarga, Danforth, and Thawville in Iroquois County.  She continued to do the Blood Mobile drives for the Ford County communities of Roberts, Melvin, and Sibley after she and Wayne moved from the farm to Roberts in 1991. She was an 8 gallon blood donor.  She was a 65-year member of Friday 14 Club of Thawville. 

Memorials may be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. The web address is www2.jdrf.org. Mailing address is JDRF, P.O. Box 37920, Boone IA  50037-0920. 

Marian’s family would like to thank the staff of the Villas of Hollybrook in Gibson City for their wonderful help and care, as well as Transitions Hospice Care, and the Gibson Area Hospital.