Marlene Ardell Townsend

Marlene A. (Roy) Townsend, age 69, rural Willow Lake, died peacefully in her home early Wednesday morning, January 22, 2020, after nearly a 7 year, hard fought battle due to cancer.

Visitation will be held on Friday, January 24, 2020, from 4-6 PM at the Furness Funeral Home at Clark and will continue on Saturday morning at the Church in Carpenter, one hour preceding services.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday January 25, 2020, at 11AM in the Carpenter United Methodist Church with Pastor Brenda Wicks officiating.  Music will be presented by Crystal Grann and Lisa Bruley.  The casketbearers will be Gary and Doug Dozark, Jim Opsahl, Mace Roberts, Darin Michalski, and Steve Kannegieter. Burial will be held at 2PM on June 6, 2020, in the Richland Cemetery near Carpenter. Burial service will be public with social distancing measures in place.

She was born Marlene Ardell Dingman on October 16, 1950, at Platte, SD, the daughter of Ralph and Darlene (Dozark) Dingman.  Marlene attended school in Chamberlain graduating in 1969.

On October 25, 1969, she was united in marriage to Roy Townsend.  The couple has lived near Willow Lake for many years.  While living at Willow Lake she thoroughly enjoyed running the Drive Inn, working at the Willow Lake School as janitor and at the Willow Lake Café, and helping area farmers pick potatoes.  Marlene was never afraid of working. In fact, until ill health forced her retirement, she enjoyed working as a welder at Bobcat in Gwinner, ND, a talent she learned on the job.  She became the go-to person at Bobcat for many welders that were learning or had questions.

In her free moments, Marlene spent many hours at her embroidery machine working on crafts, spending time with and loving animals, especially horses, and working at the South Dakota State Fair, even working at the 2019 event.

Preceding her in death were her parents, a son, Scott Townsend, and her mother-in-law, Helena Townsend.

Survivors include husband, Roy Townsend of Willow Lake, daughters, Trudie (Steve) McGavock of Springs, TX, and Aimee Townsend of Howard, 5 grandchildren and a great-grandchild.  She also leaves a sister Wanita (Bob) Johnson of Otto, NC.

Funeral arrangements are with the Furness Funeral Home at Clark where there is an on-line registry at www.furnessfuneralhome.com