Marilyn Fischer

Marilyn L. Fischer, 82, of Waterloo, died Sept. 21, 2018, in Waterloo.

She was born Aug. 18, 1936, in Waterloo, daughter of the lateHenry and Eleanora Fischer (nee Killy).

Marilyn was born and raised in Waterloo and her father was the third generation in his family to own their family’s butcher shop on West Mill Street. She was baptized and confirmed at St. Paul Evangelical & Reformed Church in Waterloo.

She came from a musically talented family. Her oldest brother, Rudy, had an orchestra, and her brothers Jim and Louis were in the original Waterloo German Band. Marilyn had a beautiful voice and she loved to sing. When she was 21 years old, Marilyn went to New York along with two other young women to participate in a singing contest on the Ted Mack Amateur Hour program. Marilyn’s trio, the Debettes, won the competition, and she was very proud of that. She served in various capacities throughout the years, singing with Hometown Harmony and the Millstadt Community Choir. She also sang with Zion Evangelical Church choir and their ZQ quartet and quintet in Millstadt, and she enjoyed playing her Steinway baby grand piano, which was gifted to her by her very close friend Joan Scherer.

Among her many skills, Marilyn was also mechanically inclined, and could repair her own vehicles. She loved cars, owning Corvettes, Mustang convertibles and Cadillacs, among several other cars throughout the years.

After graduating from high school, Marilyn attended Miss Hickey’s Secretarial School in St. Louis. Upon completion of her secretarial studies at that school, Marilyn was employed by the Monsanto Company in St. Louis. After nine years of rising through the ranks there, she attained the position of executive secretary to Mr. Edward Bock, the president of Monsanto.

Marilyn decided to go back to school and attend night school while continuing to work full-time. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Business, doing so in only two years. Marilyn graduated from Webster University with the highest honor of Summa Cum Laude. She continued to work for the Monsanto Company in various managerial positions within their professional engineering department. Marilyn retired after 37 years of service to the Monsanto Company in St. Louis.

She is survived by nieces and nephews Loren and Scott Fischer in Florida, David Fischer of Waterloo, sister-in-laws Joan Collier of Florida, Bernell Fischer of Waterloo, Lil Fischer of Henderson, Nev., and various cousins.

She was preceded in death by her parents and brothers Henry R. “Rudy,” James and Louis.

Visitation is 2-5 p.m. Sept. 23, at Quernheim Funeral Home, and 9-10 a.m. Sept. 24, at Zion Evangelical Church, Millstadt.

Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Sept. 24, at the church, Pastor Darrell Weber officiating.

Interment will follow at Kolmer Memorial Cemetery, Waterloo.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to Zion Evangelical Church of Millstadt.