Marlyce’s Revenge

My sister-in-law, Marlyce Schulenberg…oh, I still miss her!! Even after all these years. Marlyce left us on August 13, 1989, after a battle with Cancer. I can’t believe she has been gone for 35 years now. She was just 39 years old. Marlyce was Developmentally Disabled, but that didn’t hold her back. She loved to bake, knit, and work. She almost always had a job, and her jobs were the highlight of her days…when she wasn’t loving on her nieces and nephews, that is. She did love the babies. Marlyce was the oldest of my in-laws six children, and so she was around babies much of her life. Being Developmentally Disabled meant that Marlyce never grew to adulthood, mentally anyway. She was more than just a “kid at heart,” she was a kid in her mind too. And that meant that all the kids love being around her. She was an adult, that wasn’t really an adult.

Of course, because Marlyce was Developmentally Disabled, her siblings found that she didn’t necessarily outgrow the “fighting with siblings” stage, and there wasn’t a one of them who was opposed to aggravating Marlyce once in a while…or more often, for some. They loved to pick on her, but when the chocolate chip cookies were ready, they all wanted some. Of course, that was when Marlyce tried to exact her revenge…not that they couldn’t sweet-talk her out of the cookies eventually. A promise to “be nice” could go a long way toward getting back in Marlyce’s good graces.

Marlyce loved animals too. As a child, she has a dog named Brownie. She and Brownie were constant companions. I think Marlyce must have been five or so, and Brownie was quite likely the best babysitter a girl could have. Little kids are prone to getting in trouble, and wandering off, and those who are Developmentally Disabled are even more likely, so having Brownie as a constant companion probably kept Marlyce out of trouble more than once. The family mostly lived out in the country, so getting lost could have been really bad. Snakes and other animals could have been bad too. For Marlyce, having a “bodyguard” like Brownie was a huge help, especially to her parents, Walt and Joann Schulenberg, who were busy with three little ones in those years. Brownie was the family dog, of course, but the reality is that Brownie knew that Marlyce needed him the most of all the kids, plus she was the oldest, and Brownie had known her the longest. It was a wonderful relationship, and I’m glad they had each other, and that they are together in Heaven now. Today would have been Marlyce’s 74th birthday. Happy birthday in Heaven, Marlyce. We love and miss you very much.