She was preceded in death by her parents, Harold & Alice ( Dohrmann) Murphy. She is survived by her husband Frederick R. Pelton; her 3 children: Christine Pelton (Husband Dan) Orlando, FL; Joseph (wife Beth) Pelton of Canton, GA and Catherine (husband Michael) Bechtel of West Des Moines, IA. And a brother: Dennis (Wife Pat) Murphy of Henderson, Nevada. She has 7 grandchildren.
Marlene was born and raised on the family farm in Leavenworth township, 5 miles southwest of Sleepy Eye. She attended District 43, the Strassburg & Dohrmann rural school. She graduated from Sleepy Eye Public High School and continued her education graduating from Hamline University with a BA degree in International Relations. She continued on with her education and obtained a MLS (Masters degree in Library Science) from the University of Michigan.
She married Frederick R. Pelton in Port Huron, Michigan on November 18, 1967
Marlene was a homemaker, mother and librarian. They lived in various areas of the country. She was active in United Methodist Women in churches on the local and district levels She worked as a Medical librarian at St. Luke’s Hospital in Chesterfield, MO, for 18 years.
Memorial services will be in Sleepy Eye, Minnesota; date yet to be determined. Internment will be in Home Cemetery, Sleepy Eye, Minnesota. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the American Parkinson’s Disease Association.