Today would have been my sister-in-law, Marlyce Schulenberg’s 75th birthday, but she will be forever 39. She died of cancer in 1989, and we all miss her very much to this day. Marlyce was sweet and loving to everyone who knew her. Though she was developmentally disabled, she excelled in many things. She was an excellent cookie baker, and I can’t eat chocolate chip cookies to this day without thinking of her. Sometimes, when my husband Bob, Marlyce’s brother, and I came over to my in-laws’ house, Marlyce would say, “Caryn, I made chocolate chip cookies today.” She was thrilled when I smiled and told her I couldn’t wait to have some. Marlyce was a people pleaser…not for any self-promoting way, that was just Marlyce. She liked making people happy. It was the only way she knew how to be.
Marlyce, as the oldest of six children, often found herself on the receiving end of sibling teasing. It wasn’t mean-spirited, because they all teased each other, though some handled it better than others. Marlyce didn’t mind the teasing about supposed boyfriends…whether real or imagined…since it often made her grin or blush a little. She liked having or thinking about having a boyfriend, and among the other people at NOWCAP where she worked, matchups were common. Still, other types of teasing could really annoy her. Her siblings, Debbie Cook, Bob Schulenberg, Jennifer Parmely, Brenda Schulenberg, and Ron Schulenberg, knew exactly what kind of teasing would get under her skin, much to the frustration of their parents, Walt and Joann Schulenberg, who would step in when it got out of hand. Being the oldest, Marlyce had to deal with all this typical sibling mischief, something anyone with siblings can likely relate to. Despite the teasing, her siblings loved her dearly. When I joined the family, Marlyce was 25. I never participated in the teasing. I think it would have broken her heart if I had. Marlyce was always so kind to me that I couldn’t bring myself to tease her, even in a playful way.
Marlyce loved kids, and especially babies. It makes me sad that she never met my grandkids or great 
grandkids. She would have loved them, and they would have really loved her too. Mom and Dad worried about what would happen to Marlyce when they passed away, but in the end, she went home first. They needn’t have worried. We would have taken care of Marlyce, even if it would have been a lifestyle adjustment for whoever she lived with. None of us were thinking about that the day she left. We just knew everything had changed, and we would always miss her deeply. Marlyce would have been 75 years old today. Happy birthday in Heaven, Marlyce. We love and miss you so much.
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