Marian Louise Holtkamp was born to Bernard and Louise Krueger Holtkamp on October 6, 1923. She was born in St. Paul, Iowa. She is a distant relation of Walt’s through his great-uncle Albert Link’s wife, Marie Clemens.

Marian and her family lived on the family farm in Marion Township of Lee County, Iowa. She was one of seven (or eight) children. An older brother died the year she was born. In 1930, she was in school.

1930 census

By 1940, she had completed 3 years of high school, and was attending her senior year. Her parents still farmed the same area.

On September 11, 1945, she married Albert Linnenbrink at St. James church in St. Paul, Iowa. Albert was serving in the Army and was stationed at Camp Walters, Texas at the time. They later had a farm near West Point.

She worked as a bookkeeper for both the Schaffer Pen Company and the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant. Marian and Albert had 10 children. They managed the American Legion in West Point, Iowa. Marian was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary.

Marian Holtkamp Linnenbrink died on July 22, 2005 in Fort Madison, Iowa.