Marilyn June Hill-Geisler

Marilyn June Hill-Geisler, age 92, died of congestive heart failure at Redwood Heights Assisted Living in Salem, Oregon, on June 25, 2019, which coincidentally was also her parents' wedding anniversary. She joyfully stepped into her heavenly home prepared for her by her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, where she has reunited with her father and mother and many other family members and friends.

Marilyn was born June 7, 1927, on the Frank Hay homestead in Lake Preston, SD to George Brazilla and Geneva Estella (Darling) Hay. She attended Lake Preston schools, graduating in 1945. She enjoyed high school and participated in band for four years on the bass drum. In 1944, she went to the State Fair as the #1 bass drummer. She bought a new pair of red shoes to go with her red dress. The guest director from SDSU (Brookings, SD) said, "The gal in the red shoes has great rhythm!" She learned to play piano by ear and enjoyed playing the rest of her life.

On August 3, 1941, her father passed away from colon cancer, just prior to what would have been his 60th birthday on August 26. That school year, she took her first job as a switchboard operator, which entailed leaving school to sound the noon siren, then overnight on weekends the emergency and fire alarm sirens. During the next three summers, she cleaned houses.

In 1944, she met Raymond Leslie Hill, when her brother Everett hired him to pick corn and be a hired hand. They were married in 1945 and moved to a farm in Erwin, SD, where Ray raised hogs for 20 years. They enjoyed the local farm community and gained friends for life. Highlights included annual pheasant hunting season, fishing season, monthly community whist card parties, and Ray's softball games. Marilyn and neighbor, Betty Skoglund, made and sold pheasant feather hats for several years to travelers and hunters during the pheasant hunting season. There were also many cherished family get-togethers on both the Hay and Hill sides at numerous holidays and other occasions. It was always fun at canning season, seeing the enjoyment Grandma Hay had slicing the corn off the cob.

Marilyn & Ray's union was blessed with Carol Jean (1945), Leslie Ray (1947), Loren George (1948), and Cynthia Joan (1956).

In 1970, Ray had to quit farming due to emphysema. So, they moved to Colo, Iowa to be closer to Ray's family. Ray passed away in November 1973 at age 55. In August 1983, her Marilyn's mother passed away from congestive heart failure at age 92, almost to the day of when her husband (George) passed away forty-two years earlier.

Marilyn was the primary caregiver for Cindy for her first 21 years, until Cindy was able to move into a community home for people with disabilities, New Hope Village in Carroll, Iowa, in 1977. Marilyn worked part-time as secretary at the Coho United Methodist Church for several years, a short stint at the Nevada, Iowa Adventist Nursing Home, before becoming head cook at the Coho school, where she worked until having to retire due to a back injury.

She married Bill Geisler in January 1985, in Sioux Falls, SD. They subsequently lived in Ames, Iowa for a couple of years before moving to Salem, OR. They attended Salem First Church of the Nazarene.

Marilyn's last years were enjoyed at Redwood Heights, where she made many new friends.

She is survived by: sons, Leslie (Audrey) Hill of Salem, OR, Loren Hill of Contoocook, NH; daughter, Cindy Hill of Carroll, IA; grandchildren, Jennifer Schrank of Kirkland, WA, Paul Hill of Salem, OR, Aaron Hill of Seattle, WA, Stephen Hill of Salem, OR, James Chitty of Colo, IA, Mary Lou Anderson of Des Moines, IA; great grandchildren, Blair, Quinn, Torin, and Vivia Schrank, Logan Grimes, Tim and Tiffany Nguyen; sister, Grace (Earl) Stucke of Earl Rapid City, SD; brother-in-law, Frank Davis of El Cerrito, CA; sister-in-law, Doris Hill of Winterset, IA; cousin, Jeannie (Curly) Snider of San Clemente, CA; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Marilyn was preceded in death by: husbands, Raymond Hill and Bill Geisler; brother, Everett (Grace) Hay; sisters, Lois (Henry) Rasmussen, Azalea "Kay" Davis; daughter Carol (Bob) Chitty; and cousins, Marley Elson and Pearl Gard.

Memorials are suggested in Marilyn's name to New Hope Village at 1211 E 18th St., Carroll, IA 51401 or Union Gospel Mission of Salem, OR. A Celebration of Life will be held at Redwood Heights on Tuesday, July 2, 2019 at 2:00pm. Graveside services will take place at Graham Cemetery in Mingo, IA at a later date.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.hed-fh.com for the Hay-Hill family.