Obituary of Marlyn Adariene Crow

Marlyn Crow

January 11, 1933 – September 9, 2023

Marlyn (Sorensen) Crow passed peacefully in Saskatoon at Kinsmen Village in Sherbrooke Community Center, Sept 9, 2023, at the age of 90, after a lengthy struggle with Alzheimer’s.  She was the daughter of John and Julia (Hasper) Sorensen of Theodore Sask. Marlyn attended Westbrook School, Theodore school, and then secretarial training in Yorkton.  She married A. Leslie Crow on July 11, 1953 and they had five children: Cheryl, Wendy, Barry, Cindy and Janet. Most of their married life was spent in Saskatoon.  

Marlyn worked over 20 years for Sears Canada, a good portion of which was in the candy and tobacco department. We all have fond memories of the leftover, discounted candy that she brought home. She loved sweets and passed that love onto most of us kids! We all loved Wednesday because that was bread baking day (her one week day off). We would come home from school to the smells of fresh baked cinnamon rolls, buns and bread. She was a wonderful seamstress, so our closets were full of matching handmade clothes, and she made wonderful graduation, bridesmaid and wedding dresses for her daughters and cousins, and custom sewing for others. She also sewed special dresses for the dances they loved to go to.

Marlyn found time to be involved as a Girl Guide leader, and she loved to bowl, a sport she was quite good at. She was an impressive card player, and shared her enjoyment of card games and puzzles as a favorite family pastime. She has also passed on her love of knitting, sewing, crafting, baking, and her DIY “fix anything” skills. 

The last week in July and the first two weeks of August every year were spent at Good Spirit Lake. She would pack up the family in the station wagon and head to the cabin.  She biked many miles there on her “purple” bike and cherished her family times. “Pop time” at the lake was a favorite of everyone! There were holiday feasts with all the family favorite dishes hosted at our house every year.  Many family members and friends were welcomed over the years to stay for extended periods of time.

For their 25th wedding anniversary we all went to Hawaii and then repeated the experience again for their 50th, this time including grandchildren. In their retirement they took several trips to Hawaii, traveled to Europe, took several cruises and then became Texas snowbirds in 1993, calling McAllen Texas their winter home, where she reconnected with cousins and made wonderful friendships. She was known as the “Butterfly Lady” for the hand-crafted butterfly ornaments she gifted to others. Good Spirit Lake became their permanent summer home in 1995. 

Marlyn is predeceased by: her loving husband, Leslie; son, Barry; parents, John and Julia; brother, Ivan and wife, Anne; brother, Allen Sorensen;  son-in-law, Darcey Busse; and her in-laws, Albert and Ruth Crow; brothers and sisters-in-law, Ron and Ruth Crow, Leon and Betty Crow, and Herb and Ruth Crow; as well as several nieces and nephews.

Marlyn will be forever remembered and missed by her children: Cheryl (Denis) Cote; Wendy (Tim) Kovatch; Cindy Busse; Janet (John) Phillips, grandchildren: Tyson (Alyson) Cote; Erin Cote; Amy (Jarrett)Beck; Adam (Kristen) Kovatch, Nikki Putman; Katelyn Crow, Brittany (Brett) Nagy, Jason Crow; Matthew (Alanna Hoesgen) Busse, Eric Busse; Sara (Andrew)Trapp; Krista Phillips (Josh Laugen), Alyssa (Matthew) Andrews, and thirteen great grandchildren:  Alexander and Oliver Cote; Carter and Carli Kovatch; Lucas Landers; Brynlee, Ethan and Owen Nagy; Angela, Lincoln, Rylie and Logan Trapp; Skyler Andrews, sister-in-law Sylvia Sorensen, daughter-in-love Raiza Guerrero and many cherished extended family and friends.

Marlyn’s family gratefully acknowledges the dedicated care, compassion and commitment of the staffs of House 7 in the Kinsmen Village at Sherbrooke Community Centre and Quality Care Homes in Saskatoon.

Saskatoon Funeral Home is entrusted with cremation arrangements, and a Celebration of Life will follow at a future date. In lieu of gifts and flowers, memorial in memory of Marlyn may be made to Sherbrooke Community Center Kinsmen Village or Alzheimer’s Society of Saskatchewan.