Marilyn Preheim Rose

Marilyn Preheim Rose

Iowa City

Marilyn Preheim Rose, beloved mother, wife, teacher, scholar, and public servant, passed away at age 96 on Nov. 30, 2023.

Born to Adolph Preheim and Nettie Wittrig Preheim, she grew up during the Great Depression on a farm in Hurley, S.D. She earned her MA in Biochemistry in 1948 and a Medical Technology Degree in 1949, becoming the first Med Tech at the University of South Dakota. She then worked as a Med Tech at Denver General Hospital and as a researcher at Colorado General Hospital working with polio patients.

In 1951, Marilyn married Dr. Earl F. Rose and together they raised six children, living in multiple states as they explored educational and life opportunities before putting down roots in Iowa City, Iowa. She earned her PhD in Anthropology from the University of Iowa in 1982, and taught the first course in Anthropology and Women’s Studies at the University. Marilyn also served as a mediator in Johnson County Small Claims Court and in the 6th Judicial District’s Victim-Offender Reconciliation Program. She was a founding member of the Iowa City Foreign Relations Council and served on the Board of Elders at First Mennonite Church. In 2017, Marilyn was awarded the Ovation Award by the Iowa Women’s Foundation.

She is survived by her five daughters, Elise (Mark Figura), Cecile (Richard Bieser), Karen (Robert Welsh), Miriam (Jay Wilson), Carol (Tom Harrington), as well as 13 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her husband of 61 years, Dr. Earl F. Rose; their son, the writer and musician Forrest Rose.

Donations may be made in Marilyn’s name to the Iowa Women’s Foundation, the Iowa Women’s Archives, or the Mennonite Central Committee.