Marvin Ladwig, 84
Fri, 10/27/2023 - 9:41am
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CHESTER - Marvin Richard Ladwig was born December 12, 1938 at home in Howard County, as the second of four children of Maynard and Ruth (Tollefson) Ladwig. He passed away Friday, Sept. 22, at the age of 84, with his family by his side. Visitation will be Sunday, Nov. 5 from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. at the Chester Community Center, with a short service at 2:30, followed by committal at Chester Hill Cemetery.
Marvin was a life-long resident of Chester. He was baptized and confirmed at Chester United Lutheran Church in Chester. Over the years, he served as trustee for the Chester Lutheran Church and Chester Hill Cemetery, and served as fire trustee for Chester Township Fire Dept.
Marvin attended country school through eighth grade, only graduating eighth grade with the help of his favorite teacher, Hazel Markovitz. Marvin was a graduate of Chester High School class 1957, with a class of six. Marvin participated in baseball, basketball, and glee club. When the new gym was built in 1954, the boys in the class were dismissed in the afternoon to help as Marvin’s father and grandfather, and other fathers built the gym. Marvin said that “there is a lot of his blood and sweat in those cinder blocks.”
Marvin worked at Oliver in Charles City after high school as machinist and then went to airline mechanic’s school in Kansas City. Marvin worked for Ozark Airlines and the private airlines service in Moline, Ill., from 1959 to 1961. His love of flying began here and he took lessons. He later received his private pilot license.
He met his wife Myrna Hass while working at Ozark Airlines. They were united in marriage on Feb. 27, 1960, as Myrna did not want to be married on leap day, Feb. 29.
Marvin and Myrna returned to Howard County, and they began farming with his father, Maynard. They rented and farmed north, and then south of Lime Springs, until they bought the farm adjacent to his father’s farm on River Road in 1966. Marvin did a lot of custom farming over the years from filling silos, planting and drilling seed, spraying, and combining crops. They bought additional land near Chester in 1971 and in 2022. His parent’s farm became an Iowa Century Farm in 2020, bought by his grandparents Otto and Freida (Osland) Ladwig.
Marvin’s hobbies were family “de”construction projects with his children and grandchildren - building machine sheds, barns, shingling roofs, and grain buildings. Other passions of Marvin include Ole and Sven jokes, playing cards, auction sales, playing cards, tinkering, and playing cards. He and his wife loved to winter in Arizona before Myrna passed.
Marvin was preceded in death by his wife, Myrna (2019), his parents Maynard (1968) and Ruth (1995) Ladwig; infant brother, Robert Thomas (1942), sister, Jean Peddle (1997); special niece, Debbie Peddle Kim (1989); grandson Todd Nixon (2004).
Marvin is survived by his children: daughter Pamela (Craig) Nixon, sons Todd (Maria) Ladwig, and Craig (Michelle) Ladwig, and special nephew and family, Allen (Mary) Peddle; and special neice, Kim (John) McKenzie and family.
Also surviving are his grandchildren: Michel (Matt) Gage, Sara (Chris) Maly, Scott (Nicole) Nixon, Thomas, Elizabyth, and Jacob Ladwig, Travis, Madison and Brittany Zika. Great-grandchildren, Tanner and Tyson Gage, Shelton, KJ (Georgie Lewis), and Cole Schmidt, Madison and Devon Maly, Nina Mulac, Seth, Silas, and Raelynn Nixon. Honorary grandchildren Allison (James) Lind, and Charlotte, and Joseph. Melanie (David Assad) Peddle. Kayla, Kristine, Kelly, Kallie, Kaci, and Johnny McKinzie. As well as many neices and nephews. Also left to cherish his memory are his sister Carolyn Dennis of Cresco and brother-in-law, Gary Peddle, Waverly.