Marilyn E. Cook

Marilyn E. Cook, 90, of Mason City, passed away Wednesday, January 3, 2024, at the Rockwell Community Nursing Home. A funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, January 12, 2024, at Wesley United Methodist Church, 1405 S Pennsylvania Ave. Visitation will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, January 11, 2024, at Major Erickson Funeral Home, 111 N Pennsylvania Ave. Interment will be held in Memorial Park Cemetery. Memorials may be directed to the family of Marilyn Cook or Wesley United Methodist Church.

Marilyn Edna (Stanislaus) Cook was born on December 22, 1933, in Chicago, Illinois to parents Charles and Edna Stanislaus. She graduated from LakeView High School, attended Wright Junior College and the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago while giving accordion lessons fulltime at Waldman’s Music Center on Chicago’s Northside 1952-1956. She was a member of the Order of the Rainbow Girls and served at Worthy Advisor in Chicago before leaving in 1956.

On June 2, 1956, Marilyn married Lowell J. Cook in Chicago, IL. They settled in Mason City in August of 1956 where they stayed until they moved to Rockwell in 2021. She worked at Vance Music Co. in Mason City for two years and gave accordion and piano lessons in her home.

Marilyn enjoyed her role as wife, mother to their three daughters, and later, grandmother of 14 beautiful grandchildren. She actively served at Wesley United Methodist Church as Sunday School Teacher, circle member and substitute pianist. She also served on the Worship Committee, Family Ministries Council and in the Golden Age Group. She was involved in 4-H, Brownies, and Girl Scouts. She was a member of Beta Sigma Phi and Beta Piano Club.

Marilyn was the piano accompanist for the Vocal Music Dept at NIACC for 17 years, retiring in May of 1990. She enjoyed sharing her music with others, especially for those at church and care centers including hospice. She also enjoyed furnishing dinner music for the Mason City Rotary Club for 9 years.

Marilyn loved the outdoors and enjoyed skiing, camping, hunting, fishing, traveling, and being with family, especially the grandchildren. Both Marilyn and Lowell enjoyed volunteer work for the Gallatin National Forest in Gardiner, MT and the National Park Service at Lake Powell, AZ for several years.

Marilyn is survived by her three daughters, Carol (Eric) Nielson of Omaha, Nebraska, Sharon (Wayne) Bollinger of Naperville, Illinois, and Linda (Vince) Fahnlander of Plymouth, Minnesota; 13 grandchildren, Brett Bollinger, Brian (Marie) Bollinger, Sarah (Mario) Perretta, Hannah (Ryan) Petzke and John Bollinger, Vanessa (Dan) Gerhold, Peter Nielson, and Michael, Maria, Nicholas, Anthony, Daniel, and Elizabeth Fahnlander, and her seven great grandchildren.

Marilyn was preceded in death by her husband, Lowell in 2021; her parents, Charles and Edna; and granddaughter, Katie Lynn Nielson.