Marilyn K. Svoboda

Marilyn K. Svoboda, 79, of St. Paul died Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2019, at the Josie Harper Hospice House in Omaha after a brief illness.

Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Monday, Sept. 2, at Christ Lutheran Church in St. Paul. Pastor Mark Middendorf will be officiating. Interment will be in the Elmwood Cemetery in St. Paul.

Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday at Christ Lutheran Church in St. Paul. Memorials are suggested to the church. Jacobsen-Greenway-Dietz Funeral Home in St. Paul is in charge of arrangements.

Marilyn was born Feb. 8, 1940, in Lincoln to the Rev. Albert and Florence (Krumland) Kohtz. She was baptized at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Eagle and confirmed at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Daykin. She attended elementary school in Culbertson and Daykin. She attended high school for two years in Fairbury and graduated from Concordia High School in Seward. She graduated from Concordia Teachers College in Seward and continued her education with graduate studies from UNL and UNK.

She was a vocal soloist both in high school and in college. She was also a vocalist in the a capella choir in college. She toured with both choirs throughout the United States and in Europe.

As a career elementary educator, she taught school at St. John Lutheran School in Detroit, MI, St. Paul Public School in St. Paul, Bunker Hill of St. Paul and Elba Public School in Elba.

Marilyn was united in marriage to Earl G. Svoboda on Aug. 5, 1962, at Christ Lutheran Church in St. Paul. The couple celebrated 50 years together in 2012.

Earl and Marilyn enjoyed traveling and vacationing to visit family. They were members of Christ Lutheran Church in St. Paul, where she was the Sunday school superintendent for 25 years, the VBS coordinator and the cradle roll coordinator. She made many banners for the church and was a member of the choir. She also sang for many weddings and funerals. She was the American Association of Lutherans (AAL) treasurer for many years and helped conduct fund raisers. She was a member and held many offices in the Lutheran Women Missionary League (Ladies Aid).

Those left to cherish her memory include her three children and their spouses, Todd Svoboda of St. Paul, Kelly and Chip Thompson of Omaha, Timothy and Linda Svoboda of Grand Prairie, Texas; five grandchildren and spouses, Aaron and Vanessa Svoboda of Omaha, Adam and Jenae Svoboda of St. Paul, Zachery Svoboda of Omaha, Tanner Thompson of Omaha and Isabella SvobodaGrand Prairie, TX; great-grandchildren, Jayde and Olivia of Omaha and Lennyn of St. Paul; brothers and sisters-in-law, Roger and June Kohtz of Dearborn, MI, Warren and Jane Kohtz of Hays, KS; sisters and brothers-in-law, Virginia Kohtz of Seward, Sandra and Marvin Kunze of Lincoln, and Pamela and Mark Johnson of Omaha.

Marilyn was preceded in death by her husband, Earl Svoboda; parents, Rev. Albert and Florence Kohtz.

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