Marlene Dale Artkras

Marlene Dale Artkras (nee Maxey), of St. Charles, MO, passed away Tuesday, June 1, 2021, at the age of 80. Beloved wife of Kenneth Charles Artkras; cherished daughter of the late Clarence and Violet Maxey. Devoted mother of Carol Jean (David Mintert) Insalaco, Kathy Ann (Rev. Patrick) Poole, Susan Diane Artkras, and Stacy Marlene (Gary) Hagner; loving grandmother of Kyle Nuetzel, Karl “Alex” Nuetzel, Noah Hagner, Leah Hagner; beloved aunt and friend.

Our mother Marlene was extraordinarily selfless. She often said, “All I ever want is for my four daughters to be happy.”  Her mission in life was to make all those around her smile, whether in her home or taking care of the children and staff at Patterson Nursery Schools where she was greatly appreciated for two decades. After retiring in ’97, her favorite place to be was with her family and especially with her grandbabies. She forged loving relationships with each grandchild-- Kyle, Alex, Noah and Leah-- while creating unforgettable memories for all.

With tears in his eyes, our dad shared, “Your mom was a good woman. True. Devoted. We had absolute trust in our relationship, and we always wanted only the best for each other.” Mom always said, “Kenny is the only man for me!” Together they rejoiced in the celebrations and weathered the journey of a sixty-four-year relationship. Mom and Dad were inseparable, and as much as they antagonized each other, they were always the first to support and care for one another.

Marlene enthusiastically pursued cooking for her family, inviting each daughter and grandchild to help with mixing cake batters, rolling dough and stirring sauces. She made sure to please all of our hunger pains and sweet cravings with caramel sticky buns, homemade noodles, banana nut bread, fudge and more. Marlene’s binders of handwritten recipes, scrawled with notes on whose favorite it was and each date she cooked it, are a treasured keepsake.

“I just love Marlene! She is so sweet,” friends would often exclaim. “I just love her humor.” Our mom found joy in life’s simple and silly things —laughter, marigolds, a quirky joke, her parakeets, and the variety of crafts she pursued, including crocheting, painting, drawing, and sewing clothing for her husband, her daughters (and their barbies) and her grandchildren.

Marlene was dearly loved and will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

In honor of all the children our mother loved and in lieu of flowers, please send donations to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.