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Marlene Evangeline Craig, 91, passed away peacefully on August 31, 2025, at HopeWest in Grand Junction, Colorado, with her daughters at her side.<\/p>\n
Marlene was truly one of a kind\u2014a gem of a lady and a national treasure. She will be forever remembered for her effervescent joy, unfiltered humor, and her knack for always being right where the party was.<\/p>\n
Born November 12, 1933, in South Dakota to William \u201cRed\u201d Haux and Lieta Boehler Haux, Marlene grew up in the small towns near Java. She attended Central High School, where she played clarinet in the school band and orchestra and dabbled on the piano. She was active in her local Rebekah\u2019s chapter, Girl Scouts, and her church. Her yearbook staff fittingly captioned her senior picture \u201cPep in the flesh\u201d\u2014a quality she embodied throughout her life.<\/p>\n
After earning her nursing degree from St. Luke\u2019s Presentation Nursing School in Aberdeen, SD, Marlene began a long and dedicated career in nursing. In 1956, she married Carl Eldon Craig and worked in various nursing roles in South Dakota, St. Louis, and Greeley before the couple settled in Grand Junction, Colorado, in 1964. Marlene found her ultimate calling as an Operating Room nurse at the Grand Junction VA Medical Center, where she ended her career in 1995 after caring for veterans for nearly 30 years. Marlene was a founding member and President of the local chapter of the International Association of Operating Room Nurses.<\/p>\n
Her love of music and travel carried her to many places across the United States and abroad; favorite destinations included the Holy Land, Egypt, and Germany. A lifelong member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Marlene faithfully served her church through the years, often chairing committees and supporting its ministries with her gifts of energy and enthusiasm.<\/p>\n
Marlene was preceded in death by her father, William \u201cRed\u201d Haux; her mother, Lieta (Boehler Haux) Calkins; her husband, Carl Craig; and her son, Timothy Joel Craig. She is survived by her three daughters: Carlene Ruth (Peter) Goldthwaite, Tamara Lynne (Randy) Corkett, and Deborah Leigh (Michael) McLean; seven grandchildren: Robert and Christopher Goldthwaite, David Corkett, Katherine (Corkett) Deebel, Zachary McLean, Luke McLean, and Daniel McLean; and seven great-grandchildren: (Peter) Kameron, Bryson, and Charlotte Goldthwaite, Landon and Austin Deebel, and Everett and Roman McLean.<\/p>\n
Marlene\u2019s celebration of life service will be Saturday, October 4, at American Lutheran Church, 631 26 \u00bd Rd., at 10:30 am, and livestreamed on ALC\u2019s YouTube channel.<\/p>\n