Marilyn Bitz

Marilyn Bitz, 82, Bismarck, passed away Wednesday, November 18, 2020 at Missouri Slope Lutheran Care Center.

Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:00am on Monday, November 23, 2020 at Church of Corpus Christi, 1919 N 2^nd St., Bismarck. 

Visitation will be on Sunday, November 22, 2020 at Parkway Funeral Service 2330 Tyler Parkway, Bismarck, starting at 2:00 pm until 4:00 with a prayer service at 4:00 pm.  Masks are required for attendees. Both services will be live streamed on the funeral home website. Burial will be at St. Mary’s Cemetery.

Marilyn was born in Steele, North Dakota on May 7, 1938, daughter of Eduard and Dorothy May (Wise) Teske, Sr.  She babysat for numerous families and worked at a grocery store.  After graduating from Steele High School in 1957, Marilyn moved to Jamestown, North Dakota and worked at the National Tea Store. It was there where she met and fell in love with a Northern Pacific Railway worker, Joseph James Bitz. 

Joseph and Marilyn were married at St. James Catholic Church on December 29, 1959 in Jamestown.  They moved to various towns due to Joe’s work with the railroad, but returned in the winter months to Steele, ND.  In December, 1960 they were blessed with a son, Thomas James.  They moved to Bismarck and expanded their family unit with three more boys; Mark 1963, Richard 1964, and Kenneth 1967.

Marilyn was a member of the Women’s Eagle Auxiliary and stayed busy raising four energetic boys. Family was important to Marilyn. She truly enjoyed getting together with relatives and attending family get-togethers and family reunions. One year Joe and Marilyn opened up their backyard for the “clan” so everyone could get together.  After that year, everyone met yearly in the backroom of the Wood House Restaurant in Bismarck.  Families would come from out of state and across the state to reminisce and meet the new family members.

With family came holiday traditions.  Each Christmas Eve everyone would be expected to come home and celebrate and enjoy an evening meal of Sloppy Joe’s, Hot German Potato Salad, chips and Pumpkin Pie.  After eating, presents would be opened and then it was off to Midnight Mass.  At Easter, Marilyn would have all the grandkids over for an afternoon of fun and dying of Easter eggs. 

Marilyn especially enjoyed family trips to Rapid City, SD, and Wisconsin to visit with family members. It was a treat for her when Joe took just her to Utah and Texas to visit her brother and sisters and do a bit of site seeing.  Weekend road trips usually took the family to Wishek for fishing with John and Isabelle Schmidt.

Marilyn enjoyed playing Hearts and Pinocle with family and friends. After Joe retired from BNSF they would go to Kirkwood Mall every day for their morning walk and then head over to Arby’s Restaurant for coffee and get caught up with the daily news.

Marilyn overcame breast cancer and after Joe passed away in 2007, she continued to enjoy life. She found other interests to keep her busy. She enjoyed watching the Minnesota Vikings play football. She especially enjoyed watching “Class B” Basketball. She would cheer on Kevin Harvick and Dale Earnhardt Jr in NASCAR Racing. On the weekends, she would attend the Mandan Dacotah Speedway and watch the local and out of town drivers race. She enjoyed working out in the yard with Ken. 

When she no longer could stay in her home she moved into the Missouri Slope Lutheran Home with the COVID restrictions it made it extremely hard for family to visit in person at times. In the absence of family visits she kept the telephone lines busy as she would visit daily with her two sons and her sister LaVerna. She especially loved visiting with her. She assured her sister she wasn’t scared as she had her “angels” on the shelf protecting her from COVID.   Marilyn was able to peacefully pass away from natural causes in her sleep after her two sons assured her they and their families would be okay.

Marilyn is survived by her two sons, Thomas J. (Cindy) Bitz, Minot, Kenneth D. of Bismarck, Grandchildren Chrys (Sarah) Bitz, Mandan, Austin Bitz, Jessica Bitz, Casey Nelson all of Bismarck, Ashley Bitz, Minot and Camie Bitz, Layfette, Indiana. Great-Grandchildren; Adison, Caylor, Bryar, Chloe Rose, Kali Marie, and Aiden. Sisters Laverna (Ron) Nelson, Dino Teske both of Fort Worth, Texas, Brother Jim Teske, Mandan, Sister-in-laws Esther Teske, Garland, Texas and Vangie Teske, Steele, ND and numerous nieces and nephews.

Marilyn was preceded in death by her husband Joseph and two sons, Richard and Mark. Parents Eduard and Dorothy May (Wise) Teske Sr. Brothers Edward, Gene, LeRoy, Bob and David and one sister Pat Pratschler.