Marie E. Ahrens' Obituary
Marie E. Ahrens, 73, passed away peacefully on Sunday, August 3, 2025 at Silver Lake Manor, surrounded by her family.
Marie was born on October 15, 1951, in Arbroath, Scotland, to the late James and Dorothy (Wilke) Knowles of Eden. In 1969, she moved to the United States with her parents.
She is survived by her brother, James (Janice) Knowles of Fond du Lac; her daughter, Deirdre “DeeDee” (Anthony “Tony”) Kurth of Wild Rose; stepchildren, Kim (Adam) Schoettler of Hortonville and Eric Ahrens of Waco, TX; grandchildren, Justin Schrank of Denver, CO, Jordan Schrank of Berlin, Courtney Kurth (Jake Hoffman) of Fond du Lac, and Kayla Kurth (Dylan Dickinson) of Harrah, OK; and several great-grandchildren.
Marie married the late Karl Miller of Fond du Lac, with whom she shared 25 years of marriage and her beloved daughter, DeeDee. She worked for many years as the Dining Room Manager at the Holiday Inn in Fond du Lac. After her divorce, she moved to Wild Rose, where she had a summer home, and fell in love with her second husband and the love of her life, the late Robert Ahrens—whom she is now reunited with.
In Wild Rose, Marie worked at several local food and beverage establishments, where she became known for her warmth and witty remarks. She loved traveling with DeeDee and Tony to the Driftless Area and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. She also enjoyed exploring the back roads and visiting local watering holes with her special friend, Bill Rosenthal of Waupaca.
Her family would like to extend heartfelt thanks to the staff at Silver Lake Manor in Wautoma for their exceptional care, kindness, and the love they showed Marie.
A memorial gathering will be held on Saturday, August 9, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Holly Funeral Home in Wild Rose, WI.
A celebration of Marie’s life will be held at a later date.
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