Marlene J. Gobeli

Marlene J. Gobeli, 89, of Mason City, Iowa, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, at Houston Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas. A funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, November 26, 2025, at Grace United Methodist Church, 200 14th St. NW. Visitation will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, November 25, 2025, at Major Erickson Funeral Home, 111 N Pennsylvania Ave. A one hour visitation will be held prior to the service time at church. Interment will be held in the Meservey Cemetery. Memorials can be directed to Grace United Methodist Church.

To watch Marlene's funeral service live, click here: Service of Marlene Gobeli

Marlene was born April 4, 1936 to Johannes and Bessie (Meints) Kaduce in Wisner Township in Franklin County, Iowa. She was baptized and confirmed at Immanuel Reformed Church in Belmond, IA. Marlene was a long-time member of Grace United Methodist Church. She attended Wisner Township School #4 and graduated from Meservey High School in 1954. In high school, Marlene played basketball and earned All-State honorable mention and was also a majorette and baton twirler. She was in the Iowa PBS documentary More Than a Game: 6-on-6 Basketball in Iowa. Marlene attended NIACC where she took business courses. Marlene worked at and retired from Sears and Roebuck in Mason City. She was the founder, owner and operator of Gobeli Tax Service where she worked for over 40 years. Marlene continued doing taxes for family members until she was 86 years old.

Marlene married Leonard Gobeli on April 15, 1956 at the Little Brown Church in Nashua, IA. They were blessed with six loving children. Marlene and Leonard loved and cared for many children in Winnebago Heights, and many of their children’s friends. She was a State Horseshoe Champion, winning in the Mixed Doubles category at the Iowa State Fair. Marlene bowled on a league at the Family Bowl. Marlene and Leonard vacationed in the lower 48 states in their motor home. She traveled to Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and toured Europe. Marlene was an avid ISU Cyclones and Iowa Hawkeyes basketball fan. She loved reading a good book, soap operas, investigative television, riding her bicycle, tending to the flowers in her yard, and spending time with her grandchildren and great grandchildren. Marlene will be remembered for her quick wit and wonderful sense of humor.

Marlene is survived by her children, James (Jody) Gobeli of Belmond, Dale Gobeli of Belmond, Teresa (Chip) Van Horn of Chula Vista, CA, Jeffrey Gobeli and Laura Gobeli (Boyfriend, Matt Holmes) of Houston, Texas; grandchildren, Lance (Jerri) Gobeli, Jennifer (Joshua) Hild, Timothy, Jesse and Jake (April) Gobeli, Anna and Jenna Van Horn, Amelia (John) Crowe, Joshua (Elizabeth) Smith and Tarah Smith; 28 great-grandchildren; sister Cynthia Sanders; brother-in-law Daryl Gobeli; sister-in-law Sandi Gobeli; daughter-in-law Kris Smith of Tomball, TX; many nieces and nephews; and a large extended family.

Marlene was preceded into death by her husband, Leonard; parents, Johannes and Bessie Kaduce, parents-in-law Lester and Avis (Wilson) Gobeli; sons, Douglas Gobeli and Calvin Smith; sister Mavis Weaver; brothers-in-law, Allan, Donald, David Gobeli; sisters-in-law, Jeanyce, Norma Jean, and Marjorie Gobeli; grandchildren Michael Gobeli and Bess Amanda Van Horn.