Marlyce’s Charm

My sister-in-law, Marlyce Schulenberg…oh, how I still miss her, even after all these years. I just can’t believe that she has been gone almost 37 years now. That is getting close to the number of years she was alive. That’s hard to fathom. Marlyce passed away on August 13, 1989, after a battle with cancer. She was only 39. Though Developmentally Disabled, that never slowed her down. She loved baking, knitting, and working…yes, working, and she almost always had a job…something that was often the highlight of her days, when she wasn’t doting on her nieces and nephews, that is. Marlyce adored babies. As the oldest of my in-laws’ six children, she spent much of her life around them. While she never reached adulthood mentally, she was more than just a kid at heart…she truly had a child’s mind, and that made kids love being around her. She was an adult, but not really an adult. Maybe that was Marlyce’s charm.

Since Marlyce was developmentally disabled, her siblings realized she would never quite outgrow the “fighting with siblings” phase of life, and none of them hesitated to tease her now and then…some more often than others, especially her brothers, Bob and Ron. They loved picking on her, but when the chocolate chip cookies came out of the oven, everyone wanted in. All of the siblings picking ceased, but that’s when Marlyce would try to get her revenge, by withholding the treats…though they could usually sweet-talk her into sharing. A simple promise to “be nice” often went a long way toward getting back in her good graces.

Marlyce had a sweet spirit, and she loved animals too. As a child, she has a dog named Brownie. She and Brownie were constant companions, and I’m sure that was a relief to her parents. 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, who were busy with three little ones in those years. Brownie was the family dog, 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 great relationship, and I’m glad they had each other. They are together in Heaven now. Today would have been Marlyce’s 76th birthday. Happy birthday in Heaven, Marlyce. We love and miss you very much.