Obituaries : Marsha Olson Robles

It was with great sadness that we announced the passing of Marsha Elizabeth Olson Robles last year. She passed away on August 9th, 2024, in Merida, Mexico, after a long and courageous battle with breast cancer. 

A Celebration of Life Open House will be held on Saturday, August 16, 2025, from 3-6:00 p.m. at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 1206 C Ave., Vinton.

Marsha was born to Betty and Art Olson in 1950 on a farm in Vinton, Iowa.

She was a woman of adventure, deeply curious about the world and passionate about sharing its wonders with others. This passion led her to Ghana just a few years after it gained independence. She returned to Iowa, where she showed students, new to the United States, what made her state special.  Ultimately her passion let her to Mexico, where she took a leap of faith by marrying a man from a country and language she barely knew. Together, they started a family that grew beyond kin to include people from around the world.

Marsha had many passions, including teaching, mentoring, baking in any weather or location, and dancing the night away.

She will be dearly remembered by her husband of 39 years, Alberto, her children Daniel (Noelle) and Andrea (Matthew), and her grandchildren, Lucas and Rosa, who brought her immense joy. In them, she saw the eternal light of hope for a future she helped to build. She is survived by her sister Marilyn (Merlin), brother John (Ellen), and many nieces and nephews she loved dearly. Marsha was predeceased by her parents, Betty and Art Olson.

A funeral was held in Merida, Mexico, on August 13th, 2024 surrounded by family and friends from every chapter of her life.