Marlene Joan Phipps kothenbeutel, 76 of Grundy Center, Iowa, passed away on Thursday, Nov. 3, 2011 at the Grundy Care Center.

She was born in Marshalltown, Iowa on July 31, 1935 and was the daughter of the late Leland F. Phipps and Inez M. McKeag Phipps.

She was united in marriage to Arlo Ralph Kothenbeutel on September 5, 1954, at the First Methodist Church of marshalltown. Marlene and Ralph were Classmates and graduated in 1953 from Marshalltown High School. Marlene passed away on November 3, 2011. Ralph passed away on May 19, 2012. Ralph and Marlene had been married for 57 years when Marlene died.

Three of their children, mark, Christy, and Scott were born in marshalltown. In 1959 they moved to Ames, Iowa where they were blessed with David and R. Michael and in 1965 moved to Dubuque, Iowa where Cynthia Ann was born. Marlene worked for JaMar Pattern Company in Dubuque as their bookkeeper.

In the Spring of 1978 Marlene and Ralph purchased half of the Grundy Register and moved to Grundy Center. Ralph was in charge of the advertising and marlene took care of the books. In April of 1994 they became the sole owners of the Grundy Register and worked until they retired in 1998 when they sold the business.

Marlene had a passion for bowling and served on the Womens Bowling Association Board of Dubuque and Junior Bowling Association Board of Dubuque. She also coached Junior Bowling. Four of their children were bowlers and newspaper carriers in Dubuque. Marlene joined two bowling leagues when she moved to Grundy Center and in the spring of 2010 she retired after having bowled for 51 years. In addition marlene loved to play cards and golfed at the Town & Country Club where she was proud of her hole in one.

She is survived by her husband Ralph of 57 years and a large and loving family including her sister, Roberta Carothers of Naperville, Illinois, three sons, mark Kothenbeutel and his wife Kris of Cedar Rapids, scott Kothenbeutel and his wife cynthia of Suwanee GA., R. michael Kothenbeutel of Grundy Center and daughters Christy Benoit and her husband Pierre of Newport News VA., Cynthia Powers and her husband Kenn of Williamsburg KY., nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Marlene was preceded in death by her son David Kothenbeutel.