Marlene Louise Markhardt

Marlene Louise (Gabbei) Markhardt, 73 of rural Barneveld passed away early Saturday morning, November 22, 2014 at the University Hospital in Madison after a 16 year battle against Parkinson's disease. She was born on February 5, 1941 in Madison, to Harold and Jane (Hansen) Gabbei. She grew up in the Madison area where she graduated from Madison West High School in 1959. She then went on to Madison Area Technical College to major in Business where she met her husband Gary A. Markhardt. They married 4 years later on August 15, 1963 in the Midvale Lutheran Church in Madison. Marlene and Gary took over her father's company, H. Gabbei Meats in the early 1970's. She continued working alongside Gary, running and expanding the company, and then eventually handing the company over to their son, Paul and his wife, Melanie. She and her husband moved from Verona in 1991 to Barneveld to the family farm where she lived the remainder of her life. Marlene was a member of the Perry Lutheran Church in Daleyville. She enjoyed the friendships she made from her years spent bowling, ceramics, scrapbooking, traveling with her husband and especially spending time with her family, specifically her grandchildren.

Marlene is survived by her two sons, Karl (Vickie) Markhardt of Wrightstown, Wisconsin and Paul (Melanie) Markhardt of rural Barneveld; five grandchildren, Cailynn, Noah, Dalton, Greyson, and Lela. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Gary who died on April 29, 2010, and her brother John Gabbei of Madison.

A visitation for Marlene Markhardt will be held on Sunday, November 30, 2014 from 11:00 AM until 1:00 PM at the Saether Funeral Home in Blanchardville. Funeral services will follow at the funeral home at 1:00 PM. Rev. Kelli Fisher of the Perry Lutheran Church will officiate. Burial will be in the Perry Lutheran Cemetery in Daleyville. The Saether Funeral Home in Blanchardville is assisting the family. Online memories and condolences can be shared with the family at www.saetherfuneralhome.com.