Marilyn L. (McLaughlin) Jagow - 1944 - 2023

Marilyn was born in 1944 in Palmer, Alaska, to her parents Jack and Aletha McLaughlin. The early years of her life were spent in Palmer, Kodiak, and Homer, Alaska. In Homer on the family dairy farm she enjoyed the outdoors and learned independence, while helping to care for her younger siblings as well has helping with home and farm chores.

In 1956 she and her family moved to Vale, Oregon where Jack and Aletha were raised. Marilyn completed elementary and high school in Vale as salutatorian. Marilyn then attended Eastern Oregon College and later graduated from St. Alphonsus nursing program in Boise, Idaho. She then moved to Portland to attend U of O Nursing School, earning a BSN while working at the former Multnomah County Hospital.

Seeking further adventures and seeing more opportunities to serve others, she applied for a position as a staff nurse in the Peace Corps in 1969, eventually landing in Niger in West Africa. There she helped guide health programs for mothers and babies as well as seeing to the medical needs of the Peace Corps volunteers in Niger. One of those volunteers, Charles, asked her to be his wife, and they married in Niger in 1972.

After returning from the Peace Corps they settled in Portland and later Sherwood, Oregon, where Marilyn continued her nursing career, working at various hospitals and the Visiting Nurses Association. She continued working after the birth of her daughter, Corinna, but moved from full -time to part-time so she could volunteer at school and other programs, such as Medical Teams International and Red Cross, where she obtained her FCC radio license.

She liked reading, long walks, gardening, and visiting with friends. She was an enthusiastic traveler, with trips to Alaska and Germany, including travel by motorcycle. Her parents taught her to love dancing, even though she married a husband who lacks a dance gene.

Marilyn was a faithful member at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Sherwood, where she pitched in wherever needed. She participated in St. Paul’s quilting group that provided quilts and other supplies to relief organizations. She was a down-to-earth individual, without pretense, who sought out ways to serve others. She passed into the arms of her Savior on May 21, 2023, after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s in the care of Cedar Crest Memory Care staff.

She is survived by her husband, Charles, daughter Corinna (Matt), grandchildren Kaden and Karan Addison, sisters Carolyn (Bob) and Darlene (Jim), brother John (Cathy), and numerous nieces and nephews.

Instead of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to Housecall Providers Hospice at housecallproviders.com or Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Sherwood.

A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. on June 5 at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 17500 SW Cedarview Way, Sherwood, Oregon 97140. For a live stream of the service, go to https://www.facebook.com/stpaulsherwood/live. Funeral arrangements by Attrell’s Funeral Chapel (www.attrells.com); check there for possible arrangement updates.