Marilyn Brownell

Marilyn Jane Brownell passed away on December 20, 2024. She was 93 years old. Marilyn was born in Stewartville on July 13, 1931, the 5th child of Helen (Doten) and Howard Brownell. She grew up on the family farm, with 5 other siblings. She attended country school, then attended Stewartville high school, and graduated Salutatorian in 1949. Marilyn first attended a year of college at McCallister, in St. Paul, then transferred to Northwestern College in North Chicago graduating in 1953 with a BA in Zoology and Chemistry. After graduation she moved to California with a friend, scoring her first job as a research assistant at the California Institute of Technology. After a year in California, she decided to move to New York because she wanted to learn ballet. Upon arrival in New York, she was immediately hired by Sloan-Kettering for a research position. In 1961 she started research work at Mount Sinai Medical Center. In 1992 to retirement, she worked at Sienna Biotech Inc. as a Systems Research Coordinator. During her career, she co-authored several scientific papers that can be accessed to this day. She met people from all over the world, including Watson and Crick, who discovered the DNA double helix, and Oppenheimer who made the first atomic bomb.

During her working career, she also was able to attain her dream of becoming a ballet dancer, culminating in a performance at Carnegie Hall. Her income allowed her to travel the world, and every Christmas she would show slides of her travels to all her nieces and nephews. In 2020 she experienced health problems, and had to give up her apartment in NY, and return to the Rochester MN area. She lived at Shorewood in Rochester, and finally at Goodhue Living Memory Care, where she passed away. Marilyn is survived by her sister Dorothy Olds, of Platteville WI, and numerous nieces and nephews. Her other siblings, and their spouses, who preceded her in death include Marjorie (Duane) Wolfgram, Melvin (Ann) Brownell, Olive (Don) Goodrich, Wayne (Mary) Brownell, and brother-in-law, Jim Olds, along with 2 nephews. A memorial service is planned for Saturday, April 26, 2025 at 1:00 p.m. with a visitation one hour prior to the service, at Mahn Family Funeral Home, Bodelson-Mahn Chapel, 602 Plum Street, Red Wing, MN 55066, https://www.mahnfamilyfuneralhome.com. A private inurnment will take place at a later date at Hamilton Cemetery in Racine, MN. Memorials to the charity of your choice, or Alzheimer's Association.