Marlys Schouten Groeneweg

Rock Valley, IA: Marlys Schouten Groeneweg, 89, of Rock Valley, Iowa, passed away April 2, 2018 at Whispering Heights in Rock Valley. Funeral services will be held Friday, April 6 at 10:30 AM at First Reformed Church of Rock Valley with Rev. Verlyn Boone officiating. Burial will follow at Valley View Cemetery of Rock Valley. Visitation, with the family present, will be held prior to the funeral service from 9:30-10:30 AM at the church.

Marlys Scholten was born August 17, 1928 on a farm near Hull, Iowa to Albert and Nellie (Olivier) Scholten. The family lived in several areas including: Sibley, Ashton, Rock Valley and Doon. Marlys attended Hilltop Country School and Rock Valley High School and Doon High School.

Marlys worked at the Corner Café in Rock Valley; The Candy, Ice Cream and Cigar Store in Worthington, Minnesota and Council Oak Grocery in Rock Valley. While working at the grocery store, she always ate lunch at the Corner Café. Eventually the owners, George and Clara Schouten asked her to work for them. She accepted. After WWII, their handsome son came home and also worked for George and Clara. Marlys and Bud became friends and soon started dating but kept the relationship a secret. George kept asking Marlys who Bud was dating! It was an interesting experience, to have your bosses become your in-laws. Clayton and Marlys were married on April 30, 1949.

They farmed near Rock Rapids for two and a half years and then bought their own farm near Hawarden. In 1953, they had sale and moved to California. They purchased a Flying A gas station in Mountain View but they lived in Sunnyvale. As parents, they decided they wanted to raise their kids in Iowa. In 1956 they moved to Sioux Falls where Clayton ran a liquor store. A better business opportunity came up a year or so later and they purchased Tiny’s Corner, rural Doon. It was a gas/service station with a lunch counter. Later, Clayton worked as a rural mail carrier and the family moved into a home in Doon. In 1981, they bought their home in Rock Valley. Clayton died September 26, 1982. Marlys continued to live in their home in Rock Valley. Marlys married Ben Groeneweg on February 14, 1986. Ben died February 8, 2016. Marlys moved into Whispering Heights in August of 2016.

Marlys is survived by her children, Gloria (Arnie) Vink of Luverne, Minnesota, Dean (Kathy) Schouten of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Ken Schouten of Rock Valley, Iowa and Roger (Kathy) Schouten of Rifle, Colorado; her grandchildren, Rob (Mandy) Telford, Terrie (Josh) Crowell, Katy (Matt) Wyckoff and Dan Schouten; her great grandchildren, Seth Telford, Kole Telford, Isabelle Crowell, Carter Crowell and Genevieve Wyckoff; and a sister, Ila (Bill) Dirksen of Ripon, California.

Visitation

Friday April 6, 2018 , 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM at Rock Valley First Reformed Church

Funeral Service

Friday April 6, 2018 , 10:30 AM at Rock Valley First Reformed Church