Marlene Deanna Brack, 87, of Great Bend, Kan., passed into the Lord’s loving care on Feb. 8, 2026, at Riverbend.
Marlene was born on Sept. 16, 1938, in Timken, Kan., to Arnold and Minnie (Suchy) Folkerts. She graduated from LaCrosse High School in 1956 and married Mak Brack on her 18th birthday, beginning a life together rooted in faith, family, and shared purpose. Together, they shared over 69 years of marriage, building a home filled with love, care, and devotion.
After they were married, Marlene worked at the Rush County News. When she and Mak started having children, she stayed home to raise them. Later, when her youngest entered school, she returned to work at an accounting firm and eventually joined Mak in their family business, Brack and Henning Floor Covering. She managed all of this while maintaining a warm, welcoming, and orderly home.
Marlene and Mak were active members of Hope Lutheran Church in Rush Center during their early years of marriage. In 1969, they moved to Great Bend, where they became devoted members of Trinity Lutheran Church. Over more than five decades at Trinity, Marlene served as organist and church secretary, taught Sunday School, midweek, and Vacation Bible School, served as Secretary of the Women of the ELCA, and contributed on the Church Board and Board of Elders.
Before illness limited her activities, Marlene lived a life that reflected the virtues of a Proverbs 31 woman. She gave generously of her time, talent, and treasure. She shared her talents through music, singing in the choir, playing piano and organ, and often accompanying Mak. She devoted her time as a teacher and leader, and her treasure through her generosity and dedication to family, friends, and her church community.
She delighted in painting, drawing, and crossword puzzles, and cared lovingly for her plants. She had a special affection for watches and angels, treasures that symbolized her appreciation for time, faith, and the beauty in everyday moments. She loved spending time with friends and family, especially her grandchildren, attending their events and milestones whenever possible. She enjoyed shopping for the joy of it, always appreciating the experience, and took pride in presenting herself with grace and elegance, particularly at church.
Marlene devoted herself to Bible study throughout her life, using her learning to strengthen her faith, teach others, and lead by example. She lived her faith through her actions, her care for family, her service to church, and her generosity, leaving a lasting legacy of love, diligence, and devotion.
Survived by her husband, Mak Brack of Great Bend; children Melinda Hansen (Steve) of Lindsborg, Kan., Michele Brack of Great Bend, Kan., and Maura Milner of Olathe, Kan.; grandchildren Kirsten Nusser (Tegan) of Peoria, Ill., Christian Hansen (Sarah) of Edmond, Okla., Ethan Milner of Northridge, Calif., Brielle Milner of Overland Park, Kan., Kaylee Hansen and fiancé Carter Couchman of Kansas City, Kan., and Marlee Milner of Lincoln, Neb.; great-grandchildren Hans Nusser, Lucia Hansen, and Calvin Hansen; and siblings Karen Cannon of Garland, Texas, and Gerald Folkerts of Sacramento, Calif. She was preceded in death by her parents, Arnold and Minnie Suchy Folkerts, and her brothers, Arnold Folkerts Jr. and Wendel Folkerts.
Funeral service will be held at 11 a.m., Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, at Trinity Lutheran Church with Reverend James Strasen and Reverend Richard Monson presiding. Interment will follow at Great Bend Cemetery. Visitation is available from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026, with family receiving from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Memorials may be given to Trinity Lutheran Church, in care of Bryant Funeral Home, 1425 Patton Rd., Great Bend, KS 67530.
“Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.”
— Proverbs 31:28
Condolences may be sent and notice viewed at www.bryantfh.net.
Funeral arrangements provided by
Bryant Funeral Home
1425 Patton Road
Great Bend, KS 67530
Great Bend (Kan.) Tribune, Feb. 10, 2026
