Marlene (Brown) Woodfield

March 29,1936 – July 6, 2026

Marlene Joyce (Brown) Woodfield was born in Lafayette, Indiana to Haskell Dole and Ruth Viola (Ludders) Brown on March 29, 1936. She graduated from Lafayette Jefferson High School and Purdue University, majoring in Home Economics.

During her senior year of high school, her grandmother suggested that she invite “that nice Teddy Woodfield” to the Sadie Hawkins dance. She asked, and he said yes! They dated during college, and then on February 2, 1958, just a few days after she graduated from Purdue, Marlene and Ted were married at the First Baptist Church in Lafayette. They moved to Michigan City, Indiana later that year where they would raise their family, including their children Debra and Todd. In September 1965, she opened the Children’s Village Nursery School where she taught for 26 years, influencing countless children and families.

Marlene was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Michigan City since 1958 where she served on the Visual Arts Committee making banners, wall hangings, and lectern covers. She also served at the church’s Monday soup kitchen, on the Easter Egg committee, and was coordinator of Homebound Ministries. She was a past Board Member of Michigan City Habitat for Humanity and participated in the Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative raising money for the research of Alzheimer’s disease through the online sale of her small quilts.

Marlene was an award winning quilter and fabric artist, belonging locally to the Gourmet Quilters, Designing Women, and String-A-Long Quilt guilds and numerous national and international quilt guilds. Three of her quilts are listed in the Library of Congress, American Folk Life Center online collection and two of her quilts are in the permanent collection of the Indiana State Museum, Indianapolis. Countless others were featured in various books, magazines, calendars, and other art publications. Please visit her website at www.quiltsbymarlene.com to view her magnificent quilts, learn the stories behind them, and read various articles about her amazing gift and legacy.

During the final year of her life, Marlene made the difficult but wise decision to move to Minnesota to be near family, especially her dear great-grandsons. She thoroughly enjoyed this time and made many new friends who quickly became fans of her quilting and cards.

Surviving are her two children, Deb (Bill) Krause of Wayzata, MN and Todd (Debra) Woodfield of Oakland, KY; grandchildren Marin Krause of St. Louis Park, MN, Leah (Michael) Jordan of Shoreview, MN, and KaylaMarie (Connor) Jones of Chamblee, GA; beloved great- grandsons, Dominic, Vincent, and Simon Jordan; sister Rosalie (Nathan) Wilson; niece andnephews Rob (Diana) Wilson, Nathana (Pat) Jarboe, Jeremy (Stephanie) Wilson, Josh Brown, Chris Brown, and Rob (Jane Tompkin) Smith, as well as other loved ones. She was preceded in death by her dear husband Ted, her parents, and brother Haskell Dole Brown, Jr.

A Celebration of Life will be held for immediate family and close friends at the Forever Grace Church, Montmorenci, Indiana, and her ashes will be interred at Montmorenci Cemetery, beside Ted and members of the Woodfield family.

Memorials preferred to First United Methodist Church (121 E. 7th Street, Michigan City, IN 46360) or the Boys and Girls Club of LaPorte County (321 Detroit Street, Michigan City, IN 46360).