Marlene Ens (nee Penner) was born October 30, 1941, the third child and first daughter of Peter B. and Elizabeth (Friesen) Penner of Gnadenthal. She was an avid reader who loved school, attending Mennonite Collegiate Institute and Canadian Mennonite Bible College. She took teacher training in 1961-62, and after a difficult year of classroom teaching, she went on a two-year volunteer term with MCC in Gulfport, Mississippi.
Marlene was baptized in the Plum Coulee Bergthaler Church on her confession of faith, and on August 17, 1965, she married the love of her life, Werner Ens.
Marlene and Werner started off married life in Grand Rapids, where Marlene occasionally substitute-taught, but mostly poured her energy and love into people. She ran a German club and a Good News Club for any children who wanted to join, and made numerous connections throughout the community. Daughters Janet and Linda were born during this time, and Marlene delighted in raising her family.
In 1977, they moved to Reinland, where daughter Jo-Anne was born. Here Marlene would garden, sew, participate in Bible studies, lead 4H, teach English and German classes, and involve herself deeply in the community & church. She never enjoyed classroom teaching, because so much effort went into capturing attention and maintaining discipline, but thrived when teaching people who actually wanted to learn. When she discovered teaching English as a Second Language to adults, she knew she had found her calling.
Marlene loved people, and gladly widened her family circle. Early in the Reinland years, Dolores Thiessen became her first sister, and the family became part of the Penner family gatherings. Later, the Nickel family, who needed Canadian grandparents, added two children and three grandchildren to the connection, and have continued to add more. And in the early 2000s, when Marlene met a young man named Stephen from the Sudan, and discovered he had no relatives in Canada, she immediately offered to be his sister. In both Grand Rapids and Reinland, Marlene and Werner made lifelong friends who became like family as well, at least if the number of children who still call her “Auntie Marlene” is any indication.
If something needed to be done, Marlene would do it, even if it wasn’t easy – speaking in front of people, tackling spring cleaning, sewing a dress for a play that was more complicated than she’d bargained for. She didn’t hold off until she had all the details worked out, either; she’d just get started, knowing that problem-solving could happen along the way. She didn’t procrastinate; as soon as it was possible to get started on something, she was on it, even to the point of going souvenir-shopping for the family on the day of arriving in Burkina Faso. She also didn't like to see anything go to waste, and enjoyed making crafts out of recycled materials, turning church bulletins and offcuts into cards, and worn jeans into slippers and potholders.
Marlene loved music. She took piano in her younger years, and sang for most of her life. It wasn’t just congregational singing and school and church choirs, either – housework was often accompanied by bursts of singing, most often hymns, but also occasionally popular songs from when she was a teen.
Marlene loved the Lord, and she was forever grateful for the gift of salvation. Some of her favorite song lyrics were about confidence in salvation, mercy, and the deep love of God. She spent a lot of time in memorizing Scripture, writing out her favorite verses on 3x5 cards so she could refer to them often. She spent time in prayer, especially for her children and grandchildren, and for a span of years wrote out a Saturday Night blessing for each child and grandchild for the coming week.
In her last years, Marlene was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, and developed associated dementia. This brought an end to many things, including Marlene and Werner’s travel to places as far-flung as Puerto Rico, Belize, Bolivia, and Burkina. It was a slow and painful loss of both physical ability and understanding, and she struggled to understand and accept that she now had to accept help with what was once basic self-care. But for the most part, she was content, and Marlene still lit up when she saw a smile, when she recognized a face, and especially when she saw Werner coming to join her for supper.
On January 10, 2026, with her husband and oldest daughter by her side, Marlene left her frail existence behind to be with her Lord. As one of her favorite hymns puts it, she is now fully “ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven.”
Marlene is survived by her husband Werner, daughters and sons-in-law Janet and Marvin Hamm, Linda and John Funk, and Jo-Anne and Mark Benfield, and grandchildren Julia and Jordan Phillips, Samantha and Justin Unrau (great-grandchild Rosemary), Lukas and Robyn Hamm, and James Benfield; her chosen family John and Nelli Nickel, grandchildren Christine and Dave Doerksen (Tyler, Dominic, Jayce), Melissa and Jake Loewen (Hailey, Emily, Aaliyah, Liam), Kevin and Martha Nickel (Lainey), Jaelynn and Maik Hubert, and Cheyenne and Tyler Krahn. She is also survived by her Ens siblings-in-law: Sara, Helen, Abe (Helen), Anna, Armin, and MaryAnne Zacharias.
She was predeceased by her parents Peter B. and Elizabeth Penner, brothers Raymond (in infancy) and Irvin Penner; her parents-in-law Gerhard and Helena Ens, and by brothers- and sisters-in-law Gerhard and Anni Ens, Frank and Betty Ens, Henry Ens, Bill and Margaret Penner, Adolf Ens, Frank Zacharias, Ernie and Jean Ens, and Caroline Ens.
We the family would like to thank friends and family for their love and support, especially during these last years. We are deeply grateful to all the Silver Linings Care staff at Peter George Dyck Villages East throughout Marlene’s stay there, who cared for her like she was their own, with kindness, love, and respect. We the children and grandchildren would especially like to thank our father and Opa for being a shining example of steadfast marriage vows. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Shareword Global (Gideons).
Marlene was baptized in the Plum Coulee Bergthaler Church on her confession of faith, and on August 17, 1965, she married the love of her life, Werner Ens.
Marlene and Werner started off married life in Grand Rapids, where Marlene occasionally substitute-taught, but mostly poured her energy and love into people. She ran a German club and a Good News Club for any children who wanted to join, and made numerous connections throughout the community. Daughters Janet and Linda were born during this time, and Marlene delighted in raising her family.
In 1977, they moved to Reinland, where daughter Jo-Anne was born. Here Marlene would garden, sew, participate in Bible studies, lead 4H, teach English and German classes, and involve herself deeply in the community & church. She never enjoyed classroom teaching, because so much effort went into capturing attention and maintaining discipline, but thrived when teaching people who actually wanted to learn. When she discovered teaching English as a Second Language to adults, she knew she had found her calling.
Marlene loved people, and gladly widened her family circle. Early in the Reinland years, Dolores Thiessen became her first sister, and the family became part of the Penner family gatherings. Later, the Nickel family, who needed Canadian grandparents, added two children and three grandchildren to the connection, and have continued to add more. And in the early 2000s, when Marlene met a young man named Stephen from the Sudan, and discovered he had no relatives in Canada, she immediately offered to be his sister. In both Grand Rapids and Reinland, Marlene and Werner made lifelong friends who became like family as well, at least if the number of children who still call her “Auntie Marlene” is any indication.
If something needed to be done, Marlene would do it, even if it wasn’t easy – speaking in front of people, tackling spring cleaning, sewing a dress for a play that was more complicated than she’d bargained for. She didn’t hold off until she had all the details worked out, either; she’d just get started, knowing that problem-solving could happen along the way. She didn’t procrastinate; as soon as it was possible to get started on something, she was on it, even to the point of going souvenir-shopping for the family on the day of arriving in Burkina Faso. She also didn't like to see anything go to waste, and enjoyed making crafts out of recycled materials, turning church bulletins and offcuts into cards, and worn jeans into slippers and potholders.
Marlene loved music. She took piano in her younger years, and sang for most of her life. It wasn’t just congregational singing and school and church choirs, either – housework was often accompanied by bursts of singing, most often hymns, but also occasionally popular songs from when she was a teen.
Marlene loved the Lord, and she was forever grateful for the gift of salvation. Some of her favorite song lyrics were about confidence in salvation, mercy, and the deep love of God. She spent a lot of time in memorizing Scripture, writing out her favorite verses on 3x5 cards so she could refer to them often. She spent time in prayer, especially for her children and grandchildren, and for a span of years wrote out a Saturday Night blessing for each child and grandchild for the coming week.
In her last years, Marlene was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, and developed associated dementia. This brought an end to many things, including Marlene and Werner’s travel to places as far-flung as Puerto Rico, Belize, Bolivia, and Burkina. It was a slow and painful loss of both physical ability and understanding, and she struggled to understand and accept that she now had to accept help with what was once basic self-care. But for the most part, she was content, and Marlene still lit up when she saw a smile, when she recognized a face, and especially when she saw Werner coming to join her for supper.
On January 10, 2026, with her husband and oldest daughter by her side, Marlene left her frail existence behind to be with her Lord. As one of her favorite hymns puts it, she is now fully “ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven.”
Marlene is survived by her husband Werner, daughters and sons-in-law Janet and Marvin Hamm, Linda and John Funk, and Jo-Anne and Mark Benfield, and grandchildren Julia and Jordan Phillips, Samantha and Justin Unrau (great-grandchild Rosemary), Lukas and Robyn Hamm, and James Benfield; her chosen family John and Nelli Nickel, grandchildren Christine and Dave Doerksen (Tyler, Dominic, Jayce), Melissa and Jake Loewen (Hailey, Emily, Aaliyah, Liam), Kevin and Martha Nickel (Lainey), Jaelynn and Maik Hubert, and Cheyenne and Tyler Krahn. She is also survived by her Ens siblings-in-law: Sara, Helen, Abe (Helen), Anna, Armin, and MaryAnne Zacharias.
She was predeceased by her parents Peter B. and Elizabeth Penner, brothers Raymond (in infancy) and Irvin Penner; her parents-in-law Gerhard and Helena Ens, and by brothers- and sisters-in-law Gerhard and Anni Ens, Frank and Betty Ens, Henry Ens, Bill and Margaret Penner, Adolf Ens, Frank Zacharias, Ernie and Jean Ens, and Caroline Ens.
We the family would like to thank friends and family for their love and support, especially during these last years. We are deeply grateful to all the Silver Linings Care staff at Peter George Dyck Villages East throughout Marlene’s stay there, who cared for her like she was their own, with kindness, love, and respect. We the children and grandchildren would especially like to thank our father and Opa for being a shining example of steadfast marriage vows. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Shareword Global (Gideons).