Agnes Elizabeth (Soderberg) Marchel

Agnes Elizabeth Marchel of Waupaca, age 92 passed away peacefully at Bethany Home on Monday, November 27, 2017.  She was loved by her family and many friends and her memory will be forever cherished.  The daughter of the late Ester and Arnold Soderberg, Agnes was born in Crystal Falls, Michigan on September 13, 1925.  While living in Crystal Falls she sang in the church and high school choir and learned to play piano, organ and violin.  After graduating high school, she moved to Milwaukee where she attended Milwaukee Business Institute, and was employed until her marriage, at the Spence and Hanley law firm in Milwaukee.  There she met, fell in love and married Eugene E. Marchel who was in the Army working at the Army Recruiting Service in Milwaukee.   They married on May 4, 1946 and resided in Milwaukee until the war was over.  They then moved to the family farm in Dancy, WI.  There raising three children - Conny, Sally and Lloyd. 

     They moved to Waupaca, WI in 1952 where Agnes & Eugene ran a successful business (Marchels Auto/Body) for many years.  Agnes was the accountant and “jack of all trades” with that business.  They moved to "Marchel Acres" in 1953 and together Agnes and Gene managed a hobby farm raising black angus, pigs, chickens, several dogs, Old Smokey the horse (that is until he bucked off one of the kids), and lots of dogs & cats.

     Agnes loved gardening and maintained a very large vegetable garden, berry patch, orchard and flower gardens. She canned and froze the bounty of food for her family.  Agnes tended their 16 acres with an appreciation of nature, conservation and preservation, planting many trees and shrubs for wild life.  Her gardens were full of vegetables for the table and beautiful flowers for the heart (and church). 

     She was a conservationist, 4-H Leader, Garden Club member, Waupaca County Master Gardener, taught organ and piano to adults and children.   Agnes played the organ at the Farmington Lutheran Church for 36 years and sang in their choir.  She was a wonderful cook inviting people into her home who always left with goodies.  She shared her plants with many people in the community & state.   Agnes also worked for many years at the College of Agriculture, Department of Land Conservation and several other departments at the county level.  She had a very strong faith, was well respected in the community and always gave back.

Survived by daughter Sally (Don) Handrich; Waupaca, Conny (Jim) Parsons; Glen Mills, PA, Lloyd (Kay) Marchel; Waukesha.  Many grandchildren and great grandchildren.  Emily Barth; Kennesaw, GA, Kelly (Andy) Lawry; Kennesaw, GA along with their children Declan, Aven, Bria & Stevie…  The Parsons:  Michelle (Jeff) Langrehr (with Jack, Ryan, Mae, Miranda in Delaware), Shon (Brett) O’Mara, with James Bear and Cassidy in Arizona; and Michael (Jamie)Parsons, with Grant, Jake and Emma in Maryland…Lance Marchel, New York and Waukesha.

The Funeral Service will be on Friday, December 1, 2017 at 12 p.m. at the Maple Crest Funeral Home.  The visitation will be on Friday at the funeral home from 11 a.m. until the time of the service.  A private burial will be in Farmington Lutheran Cemetery.  A special thank you to the staff of Bethany Home for their loving care of our mother. 

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