Marilyn I. Andresen, Died August 7, 2019

 

Marilyn I. Andresen

Died August 7, 2019

Traverse City - Marilyn Ilene Andresen, 91, of Traverse City passed away Wednesday, August 7, 2019 at home, surrounded by her family.

Marilyn was born March 29, 1928 in Lansing, the daughter of Clare and Cora (Pearl) Gladden.  On December 31, 1950 in East Lansing, she married the love of her life Carl C. Andresen, who survives.

Marilyn graduated from East Lansing High School in 1946.  While working as a florist, she met Carl and shortly after they married.  Nine months after she and Carl married, Carl was drafted, joined the Navy and was sent to a Base in Florida.  She surprised everyone when she quit her floral job, packed everything up and moved to Florida to be with him.

During Carl’s service deployments Marilyn would stay with her mother in law at the Andresen Guest Inn in Glen Arbor.  She helped serve at the Kum and Dyne and worked at the Riverside Gift Shop.  After returning to Glen Arbor to raise their boys, Chris and Erik, she and a dear friend purchased the Riverside Gift Shop and ran it for a decade.

Throughout their marriage, the family relocated five times.  With each move she took care of the selling and buying of their home, finding a new job, and moving everything in order to be by her husband’s side.

Marilyn’s second love after her family was flowers.  No matter where they lived, Marilyn always had a beautiful garden and always worked in a flower shop.  People would specifically request her to make their corsages.  Her talent for floral design got her the job of floral decorator in the Pentagon, and she even decorated General Twining’s Christmas Tree.  It wasn’t until ten years after Carl’s retirement that Marilyn retired from the flower shops, and it was all so she could spend more time with her grandchildren.

In addition to her loving husband, Carl, Marilyn is survived by her son, Erik and Patti Andresen; her grandchildren, Annalies, and Christopher; her sister, Barbara; and sister-in-law, Dot.

She was preceded in death by her son, Chris Andresen; and her siblings, Harry Gladden and Norma Tracey.

A special thank you to Lisa Stewart, who was Marilyn’s caregiver over the last two years.

A graveside service will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday, September 1, 2019 at the Suttons Bay Lutheran Cemetery.  Pastor Jonathan Reid will officiate.

In leu of flowers the family asks donations be given to Leelanau Share Care in Marilyn’s name, 7401 E Duck Lake Rd. #600, Lake Leelanau, MI 49653-8701.

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