Marie Yealon, age 92, of River Hills Apartments, Manitowoc, died peacefully at
her home on Friday, Aug. 10, 2001. Funeral Services will be 10 a.m. Tuesday,
Aug. 14, 2001, at St. Paul's United Methodist Church, Manitowoc. The Rev. Larry
McCann will officiate. Burial will follow at Evergreen Cemetery, Manitowoc.
Marie was born Feb. 7, 1909 on her parents' farm near Buffalo, Kansas. Daughter
of the late Nelson and Margaret Bell Bigelow. Marie graduated from Buffalo High
School with the class of 1928, and later attended Kansas State College before
moving to Chicago to attend the Chicago Art Institute. She married Robert "Bob"
Yealon in 1939 in Chicago. The couple moved to Manitowoc in 1942 where they
established Yealon Furs. Marie taught decorative painting at Manitowoc Vocational
School from 1947 until 1958; she then began teaching arts and crafts at the Book
and Gift Shop. In 1962 she received the Manitowoc Herald Times Community Award of
"Friendliest-Most Courteous Employee." Marie retired in 1975.
Marie was a long-time member of St. Paul's United Methodist Church. The Lakeshore
Palettiers and The Rippers Club. Marie was an artist, poet, and writer/illustrator
of children's story books. Mostly she followed a passion for painting with Lakeshore
scenery her favorite subject. Throughout the Manitowoc years she exhibited often
at art fairs, local galleries, and gift shops. In 1965 Marie and Ruth Vinton shared
the spotlight with a two-person show at the Rahr West Art Museum. She continued to
paint through June of this year. Marie also loved to travel, and did so during her
retirement years with friends and family.
She is survived by her sister, Isabel McFadden, Massillon, Ohio; her brother, Edwin
Bigelow, El Dorado, Kan.; three children and their spouses, Anita and Don Gulseth,
Cato, Gary and Gloria Yealon, Manitowoc, Carol and Bud Schneider, Waukesha; seven
grandchildren, Sheri (Tim) Ciolkosz, Sussex, Wis., Gina (Rod) Rustad, Yarmouth, Maine,
Eric Gulseth, Cato, Todd (Bari) Schneider, Buffalo Grove, Ill., Jeremy (Leah) Schneider,
Orlando, Fla., Jennifer (Paul) Paluch, Downers Grove, Ill., Brian (Erin) Schneider,
Anchorage, Alaska; five great-grandchildren, several nieces, nephews, and many good
friends also survive. Marie was preceded in death by her husband Robert; one
granddaughter, Lisa Marie Schneider; two sisters, Lucy Kirsch, and Helen McIntosh;
two brothers, Nelson Bigelow, and Walter Bigelow; and most recently by her very special
friend Francis "Finney" Jussila. Marie's contribution to her family, friends and the
Manitowoc community were many, and she will be missed.
Relatives and friends may call at the Jens Family Funeral Home, Manitowoc on Monday,
Aug. 13, 2001, from 5 to 8 p.m., and on Tuesday, from 9 a.m. until the time of
services at 10 a.m. at the church. Memorials may be made to St. Paul's United Methodist
Church, Manitowoc.
Herald Times Reporter, August 11, 2001 P. A2