July 1, 1926 - December 25, 2016

Marie Carol Wadsworth (nee Myhr), age 90, from Rockford, IL, passed away on December 25, 2016 in her home. 

Marie was born on July 1, 1926 in Spooner, WI, and was the fourth of five children born to Hjalmar and Anna Myhr. Marie was a 1944 graduate of Spooner High School and then went on to study business in St. Paul, MN. After learning about jobs that were available in Rockford, IL, she moved there in 1946 and found employment at Geo. D. Roper Corporation where she worked in the office, and also continued her education at Rockford Business College. It was at Roper where she met her soul mate and future husband, Paul Wayne Wadsworth. At the age of 23, she married Paul on August 26, 1949 at Old Stone Church in Rockton, IL. For several years they rented a lovely apartment in Rockford and did a lot of traveling. In 1955 Paul designed a custom home for them and he even helped build it; they moved in just prior to Christmas that same year and were now looking forward to starting a family together. Marie continued to work at Roper until 1958; she then became a homemaker and started raising their family. In April 1965 she began working at John S. Barnes Corporation where she was the Executive Secretary to the Vice President in the Marketing Division for 26 years. 

Marie and Paul were happily and lovingly married for 38 years until his passing on December 31, 1987. The day of her 65th birthday, she welcomed retirement as she wanted to spend more time with her family and do more traveling, which included yearly road trips to St. Paul, MN to spend time with her siblings and their families. Over the years, Marie always enjoyed entertaining family and friends, baking, housekeeping, working on family genealogy, tending to her flower beds, swimming at the YMCA, reading, attending church and Bible Study at Northeast Christian Church and monthly lunches with her church friends, but mostly she enjoyed taking care of her husband, her daughters, and babysitting her three young granddaughters, Jessica, Stephanie and Kristin Opon. Marie was truly the sweetest, nicest and most loving woman you could ever meet; she was a soft-spoken and kind-hearted person who never said anything bad about anyone and never complained about anything, even during the twelve long years she nursed and took care of her husband after he suffered a debilitating stroke in 1976, while still working a full-time job to support her family. She was a positive and very inspirational role model to her daughters who always looked up to her with love and admiration. 

Marie was pre-deceased by her parents, husband and all four siblings: Arthur Myhr, Edward Myhr, Elsie (Myhr) Konchal and Helen (Myhr) Hodge; stepsons, Gary Wadsworth and Gregg Wadsworth. 

Survived by two daughters, Carol Schmidt, Rockford, IL; Patricia (Eric) Opon, Machesney Park, IL; sister-in-law Beverly Myhr (wife of late Edward Myhr); daughters-in-law, Shirley (widow of Gary) Wadsworth, Joan Wadsworth (widow of Gregg); seven grandchildren; 6 great-grandchildren; many nieces, nephews and friends. 

The first visitation was held at Fitzgerald Funeral Home at 3910 N. Rockton Ave in Rockford, IL on Thursday, December 29 from 11am – 1pm. A second visitation along with the funeral service will be held at Spooner Funeral Home at 306 Rusk St. in Spooner, WI on Friday, December 30. Visitation is from 1:30 – 2:30pm followed by the funeral at 2:30pm. Interment will be at Spooner Cemetery. Arrangements made by Fitzgerald Funeral Home and Spooner Funeral Home. 

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the family for a fund to be determined at a later date.

FUNERAL SERVICE

• Friday, December 30, 2016
• 2:30 PM
• Spooner Funeral Home
• Visitation:  1:30-2:30
• Interment:  Spooner Cemetery

Last Update: Dec 16, 2018 5:41 pm CST