Michael "Mike" J. Marksbury

Michael (Mike) James Marksbury of Sioux City died on May 28th, 2023. In the days preceding his death, he was surrounded by both family and friends alike and he passed peacefully at home. We envision Mike taking his last eternal ride on his Harley, which he affectionately named “Rddaug,” right up to the gates of Heaven, where he was reunited with a multitude of friends and family and welcomed with open arms by our loving God.

Memorial Mass will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday, June 3, 2023, at St. Boniface Catholic Church with Father Armand Bertrand and Father Vern Smith officiating. Visitation will be 5:00-7:00 p.m. Friday, June 2, 2023, at Christy-Smith Funeral Home, Larkin Chapel, with a 7:00 p.m. prayer service. Burial will be at Memorial Park Cemetery.

Mike was 80 years young at the time of his passing. Mike, without a doubt, lived his life to its fullest with his friends and family. In his younger years, Mike was a runner & an avid cyclist. He rode across Iowa with RAGBRAI on 9 occasions. He never turned down a chance to travel. He and his wife, Carlene, traveled the globe by plane and cruise ship and the USA by motorcycle - living many moments and collecting many memories along the way.

He continually strived to make everyone feel welcome & to help out wherever he could - whether it be a friend, neighbor, family member, or anyone needing a helping hand.

It gave him great joy to live in acts of service, this often showed up as maintaining or even detailing a car of one of his six daughters or his wife. On any given day, you could find him meticulously mowing the lawn in diagonal yet straight rows, maintaining the yard, or Koi fish pond that he built by hand. Or really any random, small or big, house project that he chose to tackle himself. And of course, helping out neighbors with yard work and snow pushing as well. This man never tired, and when he did, he simply napped in his chair.

He loved his family: wife, kids, grandkids, & extended family alike. Many friends indeed became family members as well & were always welcomed around the pool, Koi pond, or invited for one of his legendary burgers. His favorite times were when he could spend time with his grandkids, take them out for a ride in a fast car or on his Harley, and of course stop for ice cream along the way! He was always up for fun, an adventure, or a new grown-up toy (road bike, Harley, boat, fast car - you name it!). One of his favorite pastimes over the years was boating & leisurely drifting along the Missouri River while soaking up sun & fun.

Some of his family’s favorite memories are summers around the swimming pool, endless cookouts, shooting pool, and the grandkids running up behind grandpa's chair to mess up his hair - where he promptly grabbed a brush from many stored locations so that he could keep every hair in place. And of course, the ultimate epic Christmas Eve Parties that served double duty for a celebration of Mike and Carlene’s wedding anniversary - where Mike peddled the player piano while belting out classic songs & as the bartender made sure your cup was never dry and Carlene made sure the food was stocked!

Mike both worked and played hard. He had such a wide variety of jobs that we are sure some will be missed, but we will give it our best shot. Some of the multitude of jobs he has held over the years are bus driver, barber, served in the US Army, welder, projectionist, and from his early 30s and on - a salesman for drives and bearings, where he would happily tell you that he taught himself engineering equations - so that he could quickly serve his clients on the job. He won several sales awards and was greatly sought after by many on various job sites because of his down-to-earth, friendly, and thorough nature. They knew he would exceed expectations and get the job done. Some of the companies that he worked for are Power Drives & Bearings, Standard Bearings, Precision Bearings, & 23 years at SEW-Eurodrive where he served as District Manager for Western Iowa, South Dakota, & Nebraska. He loved his role at Eurodrive and retired in 2014.

Michael James Marksbury was born on December 7th, 1942 to Myrle (Baker) Marksbury and Patrick Marksbury at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Sioux City, Iowa. His grandmother Margaret and grandfather, James (JR), played a large part in Mike’s childhood. Mike especially fondly remembered his connection with his grandmother. He attended St. Boniface Elementary and Heelan High School.

In 1960, he enlisted in the Army and completed a 3-year tour in Bamberg Germany. In 1965, Michael and Jo Ellen McKown married. He and Jo were blessed with four beautiful daughters; Kelly (Stover), Kari (Munger), Shannon (Henry), and Angela Marksbury. In 1972, Michael married Carlene Griencewic - on December 24th, 2022, they celebrated 50 golden years of marriage. They raised two beautiful daughters together, Jennifer (Leamen) and Gillian (Biggerstaff).

Survivors include his wife Carlene; sister, Colleen Mastilar, of Oconomowoc, WI; six daughters: Kelly (Tim) Stover of Kimberly, ID; Kari (Greg) Munger; Shannon (Gene) Henry; Angi Marksbury all of Lincoln, NE; Jennifer (Gene) Leamen of Ames, IA; & Gillian (Joel) Biggerstaff of Charles City, IA, and 15 grandchildren: Nick, Nate, & Andi Stover; Mallory, Matthew, Claire, & Bennett Munger; Katie & George Henry; Bryant, Jessica, Meggieanne Leamen; Jackson, Caiden, & Greta Biggerstaff.

Mike is preceded in death by his parents Myrle & Pat Marksbury; grandparents Margaret & JR Marksbury, and 2 siblings: Pat “Pado” Marksbury and Maureen (Bigicia).