Marilyn Joyce Wilson's Obituary
Marilyn Joyce Wilson "Herndon" was born in Centerville, Iowa to Richard and Frances Herndon on August 24, 1940. The family moved to Corydon that same year where her father, Richard, opened a small animal feed store. She spent her school years in Corydon and made friends that would last a lifetime, a life that ended on January 13, 2025.
She began a new chapter in her life when she married Ronald Wilson on May 2, 1959 in Corydon. Ron was a popular and well-known Corydon boy whom everyone knew as "Tiger". They lived briefly in Des Moines and then moved to Guthrie Center where Ronald had obtained a teaching job and where, again, they made friends with whom Marilyn still had a strong relationship.
After a few years, their lives took another exciting turn when they moved back to Corydon so that they could take up Ron's birthright of farming on Wilson land near Allerton. They loved the farm life and the generosity and kindness of their farm neighbors.
They found farming to be a satisfying life style and also a very busy one; however, it was not too busy to prevent them from becoming avid Kansas City Chiefs fans, watchers of Chief games when possible, and making an occasional pilgrimage to Kansas City to see an in-person game. She loved the Chiefs as evidenced by a wardrobe full of Chiefs tee and sweat shirts and a few other memorabilia.
She was athletic, loved golf, and found time to play a round every week with a friend at the Corydon golf course. Marilyn and Ron were dog lovers in the true sense of the phrase and through the years had a succession of border collies named Stranger, Ranger, and the twins Frank and Jessie. For a few years, they also raised miniature schnauzers, and Keeshonds. It was a riot of fun to sit on the floor in the Wilson basement with a swarm of two or three litters of puppies crawling over one's legs.
We will miss Marilyn's positive attitude and wonderful sense of humor.
Marilyn is survived by her brother James (Donna) Herndon, nieces, Vicki Kallick and Lisa (Dennis) Winn, great niece, Katie (Josh) Tragarz, great nephews, Joey Dircks and Andy Kallick, great-great nephew, James, and great-great niece, Ruby.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Ronald, parents, Richard and Frances Herndon, and her in-laws, Claude and Goldena Wilson.
Visitation will be held Wednesday, January 22, 2025 from 1:00 - 2:00 PM at Thomas Funeral Home in Corydon. Funeral service will be held immediately following the visitation at 2:00 PM Wednesday, January 22, 2025 at Thomas Funeral Home in Corydon. A memorial has been established to Circle of Freedom and may be mailed to Thomas Funeral Home, ATTN: Wilson Family, 303 E. Jefferson St. Corydon, IA 50060. Condolences may be shared online at www.thomasfh.com or www.facebook.com/thomasfuneralhome.
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