Marian Arlene Hoyer, 81, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, May 5, 2026 with family by her side ending her 20-year battle with primary progressive multiple sclerosis. Marian was the definition of determination and perseverance.
Born on March 27, 1945 in LeMars, IA, Marian was raised on her parent’s cattle and crop farm in Hinton, IA, where she learned the value of hard work and compassion for animals. In high school Marian enjoyed playing clarinet and piano, as well as basketball, and taking home-ec classes. She was in the first graduating class at Western Iowa Technical Community College earning a technical degree in office occupations in 1965. She worked for “Ma Bell”, officially known as Bell Telephone Company as a telephone operator and boy was she good at it. After that, she worked in the office at the Farmer’s Co-op in South Sioux City.
She had two sons adopted out prior to marriage, Rick Ruffcorn and Terry Julch. Rick and Marian were reunited many years later and had a wonderful relationship.
Marian was first married to Dennis Beekman in 1969, lived in Dakota City, NE, and had two daughters together, Maria Harder and Jennifer Smith. After divorce in 1982, Marian moved to South Sioux City, NE and developed MariCo, her cleaning service business of 23 years.
On December 23, 1988 she was married to Jim Hoyer, who she shared a love for horses with, and welcomed his four children Paula, Sherry, Tonya, and Bruce into her family. They shared many adventures with his bird dogs and trail rides. They later divorced in 1993.
In 2001 Marian moved to Pittsburgh, PA with her daughter Jennifer where she worked as an anesthesiologist aid at UPMC hospital. In 2004, they both moved to Sturgis, MI where they started a family horse farm that Marian managed. Through the horse community in Sturgis, Marian met many wonderful people and started her faith journey with the Mormon church. That journey continued when she moved back west to Lincoln, NE in 2016. There she worked as an Uber driver, a Hy-Vee food sampler associate, and later as an office assistant at Heartland Gourmet.
Marian loved early mornings, a good cup of coffee, beautiful sunrises, all of her grandchildren, and just living life. She loved all of her animals, Interstate (dog), Buster (horse), Sissy 1 & 2 (cats), and many others in between. She would try just about anything and she knew no strangers. You might even see her out for a stroll in her electric wheelchair heading to the grocery store. Her hobbies later in life included crocheting hats for people in many states, growing beautiful plants, and trying out new restaurants. Marian worked and was still driving herself to work until the fall of 2025. Her courage was unmatched. She was such an amazing person that insisted on helping and giving. She truly enjoyed her life by providing service to others.
Marian is survived by her younger brother, Philip Julch; her children, Rick (Diane) Ruffcorn, Maria (Don) Harder, and Jennifer (Chris) Smith; grandchildren, Zachary, Jacob, Amanda, Preston, Alexandrea, Ainsley; and four great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Everett and Bernice (Volkmer) Julch, and her older brother, Orvis Julch.
A Celebration of Life will be held 11:00 am Saturday, May 9, 2026 at Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 3000 Old Cheney Road, Lincoln, NE.
Memorials may be given to the family for future designation.