Marilyn J. Dircks, age 82, of Prior Lake, MN, passed away peacefully on January 9, 2021 at New Perspectives Senior Living in Prior Lake.
A Memorial Mass will be held at 11:00 AM on Thursday, January 14, at St. Michael’s Catholic Church, Prior Lake. Mass can be streamed by visiting St. Michael’s website: https://stmichael-pl.org/ . Visitation time will be held one hour prior to services. Masks are required and social distancing must be maintained. Interment at Fort Snelling National Cemetery at a later date.
Marilyn Joanne was born on July 7, 1938 to Nicholas and Dorothy (Schmitt) Raser in Minneapolis, MN. An only child, Marilyn grew up on the family dairy farm in Carver County, often helping out and driving the tractor for her dad. With no siblings, Marilyn was close with many of her aunts and uncles close to her age and was known to get into some mischief from time to time. She loved hanging out with both sides of the family and participated in many activities with her aunts and uncles. Following graduation from Guardian Angels Catholic School in Chaska, Marilyn met the love of her life, Jerry Dircks. After catching his eye at a family wedding wearing her green silk dress and high heels, Marilyn danced with Jerry at a Valentine’s Day dance at the Chaska ballroom before he asked her to see a movie the following Friday night. The week leading up to their date was the longest week of Jerry’s life. After an amazing first date, there weren’t any doubts in either of their minds, and Marilyn told her family soon after, “I’m gonna marry that man.” Marilyn and Jerry were united in marriage on September 21, 1957 at St. John’s Catholic Church in Jordan, MN. Following marriage, Jerry and Marilyn were blessed with three children, Christopher, Charlotte, and Mary Jo. As a family, they enjoyed many different camping trips all over the area. Marilyn was always involved and active in the community. She loved visiting with friends, neighbors, and extended family, and volunteering her time as a part of the Fire Ladies. She was also a proud lifetime member of the VFW Auxiliary. When she wasn’t helping out in the community or socializing with her family, Marilyn worked as a cleaner and did housekeeping for offices, bakeries, and other businesses, as well as working various other jobs including babysitting the neighbor kids five days a week. Marilyn also loved to cook and was an avid reader in her free time. When she was blessed with grandchildren, she loved them dearly, hosting easter egg hunts in the backyard, trick or treating on Halloween, cracking open pinatas every birthday, and serving up her famous chicken wings on Christmas Eve.
In retirement, Jerry and Marilyn converted their cabin to a house and lived there for 15 years, enjoying deer hunting together and spending winters in Texas. They greatly enjoyed spending time in Donna, TX, which was 60 miles from the Gulf, able to travel to Padre Island and visit Mexico from the park they lived. They were the youngest couple in the park when they moved in, and they were the oldest when they settled back in Prior Lake, MN in 2011.
The love of Jerry’s life, full of sunshine, and ever present, Marilyn was deeply loved and will be missed by her husband, Jerry Dircks; children, Christopher (Rhonda) Dircks, Charlotte (Gene) Theis, Mary Jo Dircks; 7 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; and many other loving family and friends.
She is preceded in death by her parents; two infant brothers; three infant sisters; numerous aunts and uncles; and other family.
Ballard-Sunder Funeral Home proudly served and cared for the Dircks family.
