Mary "Kathy" Marlowe, age 68, Veblen, South Dakota, passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by family, on November 13, 2025.

She was born on August 20th, 1957 in St. Louis, Missouri to Leo and Ruth (Clayton) Baerthel. Kathy was preceded in death by her parents; brothers Joe and Leo Baerthel; brothers-in-law Jeff and Danny Marlowe; and father-in-law James Marlowe, Sr. She is survived by her devoted husband of 52 years, James Marlowe, Jr.; children Michelle (Terry) Sistad, James Marlowe III, Cory (Erica) Marlowe, Laura (Russell) Diem, and Samantha (Joe) Deacy; 16 cherished grandchildren; siblings Linda Vantassel, Helen Thuringer, and Justin Baerthel; and a large extended family of nieces, nephews, and friends.

Kathy grew up in St. Louis before moving to St. Paul, Minnesota where she met the love of her life, Jamie. Kathy and Jamie met as carefree teenagers and were married on April 16th, 1973 in Watertown, SD. Kathy and Jamie laid down roots and raised a beautiful family living both in Minnesota and South Dakota. Their love was strong, built on humor, trust, and true partnership. Kathy's most important work of her life was within the four walls of her home and her home was wherever Jamie and the kids were. She prided herself in the role of "Mom" not only to her children but also to countless friends, nieces, and nephews who found comfort within her home.

Professionally, Kathy worked for many years as a Nutrition Services Supervisor and later in the St. Paul Public School District kitchen. She enjoyed her work and valued the many friendships she made throughout the years.

Kathy was a force, she loved hard and always provided the best for her family. She was known for her talent in the kitchen and fielded many phone calls as her kids grew up asking, "Am I doing this right?" when trying to recreate a childhood meal. She was always happy to oblige and then would follow up asking how it turned out. She loved having her grandkids around which often resulted in a house bursting at the seams with chaos. But, she loved it and always said the best part was "you can send them back home."

Kathy and Jamie retired to South Dakota in 2019 where she spent the rest of her life. She found joy in decorating their home where themes changed often, she loved to read, listen to her wind chimes, and supervise Jamie when he became the primary cook of the house. She looked forward to all of the visits from her children, collecting yearly school pictures of the grandchildren, and staying connected despite the distance.

Her proudest moments were watching her children succeed and forge their own paths followed by seeing each of her grandbabies thrive in all the things they love. What she failed to acknowledge in life was that those successes are a reflection of the solid foundation that she and Jamie built- through loving, guiding, instilling values, and work ethic into each of their children and always being there for them, no matter what. Her resounding, "love you more" will forever echo in the hearts of those she left behind.

There will be a private celebration of life in Spring 2026.