Marlene C. Gates
A small family service will be held when she can be reunited with her loving husband once again to be buried together.
Marlene was born on February 15, 1943, in Wisconsin to Robert and Edith (Schwantz) Clark. She lived a life rooted in love, never straying far from the state she cherished. Raised on a small farm outside of Mauston, where she met and married the love of her life, Arvine Gates. They moved to Milwaukee for a period of their lives and eventually returned to the Mauston/New Lisbon area, where they built a long and meaningful life sharing 65 years of marriage.
Marlene found joy in the simple and beautiful moments—fishing, foraging for mushrooms and berries and taking evening drives in search of deer, wild turkeys or even the occasional bear. Her home was a place of warmth and welcome. The door was always open, especially to hunters, with a fresh pot of coffee ready in the early morning and a hot meal waiting at day’s end.
She had a gift for connection, always taking time to sit, visit and genuinely ask about others’ lives. Above all, Marlene loved her family deeply. Her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren were the center of her world, and she cherished each of them with unwavering devotion.
Marlene was preceded in death by her parents, Robert and Edith Clark; her brother, Edward; and also her beloved son, Ronnie Gates.
She is lovingly survived by her husband, Arvine Gates of New Lisbon, WI; her daughter, Kathy Gates; her son, Randy Gates; and her grandchildren: Heather (Mackey) Ament, Nikl Mackey, Darren Gates, Keith Gates and Cole Childers. She is also survived by 18 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great-grandchildren.
Marlene will be remembered for her kindness, her welcoming spirit, and the deep love she shared with all who knew her.