Vicki L. Marien

November 17, 1947 - June 18, 2020

Vicki L. Marien of Waukesha, formerly of Lodi, California passed away suddenly on Thursday, June 18, 2020 surrounded by the love of her family at age 72. She was born in La Crosse, Wisconsin on November 17, 1947 the daughter of David and Shirley (nee Zeeh) Ferguson. On June 28, 1969 she married Ronald “Ron” Marien. Vicki was an elementary school teacher for many years, beginning her career teaching in Fond du Lac, Chicago, and ending her teaching career in Stockton and Lodi, CA. She left a career in public education to defend the rights of teachers through the California Teachers Association. She had a passion for teaching and believed every child not only had the right to an education, but could also succeed with a combination of individual attention and care. She fought for the promise of public education and was a warrior for the collective bargaining rights of teachers. Vicki believed herself to be a professional in every sense of the word. She never left the house without being well-dressed. We fear for the quarterly profits of Talbots and Von Maur. She was a woman who was raised to appreciate manners and taught her children and grandchildren to do the same. In her life, Vicki lived out her faith in God, offered a character for others to admire, lived with common sense, offered people her trust from the first time she met them, taught the world what it means to be a woman of integrity, loved without condition, and promised herself each day to continue working towards having more patience. In 2015, Vicki and Ron moved to the Waukesha area and became members of their son’s church, Ascension Lutheran Church. Vicki’s greatest joy in life was her family and she especially cherished her grandchildren. She will be forever missed by her beloved husband of 51 years, Ron and their children, Christian “Chris” (Ileen) Marien of Waukesha and Heather (Lawrence) Richards of Lodi, CA. She is the proud grandmother of Jeffrey Werder, Andrew Marien, Anthony Werder, Anna Marien, Zoe Richards and Hadley Marien. She is further survived by her brothers Scott (Sandy) Ferguson and David (Patti) Ferguson, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, numerous nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents. An outdoor visitation and service will be held on Saturday, August 15, 2020 with visitation from 11:00 a.m. until the memorial services begins at 12:00 noon at Ascension Lutheran Church, 1415 Dopp Street, Waukesha, WI 53188. Memorials in Vicki’s name are appreciated to the Memorial Fund of Ascension Lutheran Church. Please note masks are required and social distancing guidelines will be followed.