Marilyn Elizabeth Ortner entered eternal life on September 15, 2023. Mass of Christian Burial will be at St. Joachims Church, Pittsville at 10:00 am on Friday, September 22, 2023. Wake visitation will be at Buchanan/Rembs Funeral Home in Pittsville on Thursday, September 21, beginning at 5:00 pm with rosary prayer service at 7:30 pm. There will also be visitation before mass on Friday beginning at 9:00 am. Father Nathan will officiate. A lunch will be served in the church hall after burial in St. Joachim cemetery.

Born the seventh of nine children to John A. and Wilhelmina "Minnie" (Kanne) Baumhover on September 4, 1931, Marilyn grew up in rural Carroll, Iowa, where she attended school. She graduated from Mount Carmel High School. In her youth, Marilyn helped with farm and household chores, cared for siblings, and enjoyed watching her older brothers play baseball. She walked three miles for summer piano lessons and studied violin in school.

After graduation, Marilyn worked as a medical records clerk and typist until she and Justin L. Ortner married on June 24, 1952. They were blessed with their first child in June 1953 while farming near Laurens, Iowa. They moved their growing family and small Holstein herd to Wisconsin in 1963 where they farmed in rural Pittsville until retirement. As a farm wife, Marilyn raised hundreds of chickens, gathered thousands of eggs, and fed crowds of people with seeming ease. She became an expert at gardening, canning, and cooking while always caring for children. She milked cows, drove tractors, and planted and harvested alongside her husband throughout the change of seasons. Marilyn loved babies, flowers, crocheting, and good music. She taught youth religion class, provided piano accompaniment for many music students, and was, for over 25 years, church organist and sacristan.

Marilyn is survived by one brother, Donald (Donna) Baumhover, Watervliet MI, one sister, Kathleen Kraus, Carroll IA, three sisters-in-law, Sylvia (nee Ortner) Onken, Pocahontas IA, Jane (nee Ortner) Drees and Leota (nee Ortner) Borkowski, Carroll, IA. She is further survived by her children and their spouses, Margaret Ann "Peggy" (David) Rademan, Pittsville WI, Ellen (Christopher) Ipsan, Driftwood TX, Kathryn (Terrence) Poehnelt, Marshfield WI, Daniel (Lori), Pittsville WI, Susan (Jeffrey) Masephol, Pittsville WI, Lorraine (James) Ortner-Blake, Baraboo WI, Joseph (Marcella), Pittsville WI, Theresa (Myron) Schiller, Janesville WI, Lawrence (Lisa), Kaukauna WI, Mary (Sam) Ortner Neve, Tomah WI, Linda (Robert) Bollig, Minneapolis MN, Matthew (Lisa), Arpin WI, Michael (Amy), Cody WY, Elizabeth (Andy) Beltran, Western Springs IL, and 36 grandchildren, and 31 great-grandchildren.

She was predeceased by her parents, her beloved husband, Justin, her brothers, Cletus, Wilbur, Norman, Erwin, and infant brother Paul, her sister Josephine (Joann), five sisters-in-law, five brothers-in-law, and two infant grandchildren, Peter Thomas and Elizabeth Rose Ortner.