Marc LaDue

I, Marc LaDue, was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on May 19, 1959, to Frank & Sabine (Pfauter) LaDue. I passed on to wherever it is we go on Saturday, September 15, 2018. Celebration of Life will be at 11:00 A.M. on Saturday, September 22, 2018 at Mohr Funeral Home in South Sioux City, NE, with luncheon to follow. Visitation will begin at 10:00 A.M. on Saturday at the funeral home. Dress is casual. We lived in Cedar Rapids only a few months before making Sioux City our home. My parents adopted Matthias in 1963, and we got along as well as most brothers do. In 1968, my family moved again, this time to Zurich, Switzerland. I remained there for the next ten years, during which time I went to public school, as well as three months each in what was then known as West Berlin and Mallorca, Spain. My parents divorced in 1975. I stayed with my dad in Switzerland, while Tias went with my mom to the States. I took up the sport of bicycling in 1975 and was the Swiss Junior Amateur National Champion. In 1976, my half-brother Robin was born in Germany. I moved back to the United States in 1977, where I have remained ever since. Starting off with the Marine Military Academy in Harlingen, Texas, my education in America was full of gaps. Then it was on to the United States International University in San Diego, California. By the fall of 1979 I was again in the Midwest, this time entering my one and only in-patient drug & alcohol treatment program (who knew?). I graduated successfully and headed back to Sioux City, where I had some family and friends. I also completed a six-month stint in the Men's Halfway House at that time, and I remained free of alcohol and illegal drugs for the rest of my days. Thank you AA & NA! I worked in a number of different occupations for the next few decades, while also attempting to finish my bachelor's degree (on the 18-year plan no less), which I finally accomplished in 1995 from the University of South Dakota in Vermillion. In 1985, I met the woman I would marry: Marsha Lederer Crane. We married in April 1987. With Marsha's encouragement, I went after my dream of studying law. After 18 months, my focus changed to that of education. I received my master's degree in education in 2001. I began my teaching career at the Winnebago Public School District in Winnebago, Nebraska, and never left. I remained a teacher there until my illness prevented me from working. I also enjoyed driving semi-tractors and trailers from coast to coast (but mostly out to California and back) from 1995 to 2015. My love for motorcycling led me to become a member of the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, and I was an instructor for MSF for more than 20 years. My students and fellow staff members at Winnebago taught me far more than I was ever able to reciprocate. And for these many lessons I am forever grateful. During my last forty-some years in Sioux City, I met and enjoyed many unique and interesting people. Many came to me by way of Sioux City's excellent recovery community; others I got to know as a result of my favorite pastime: motorcycling. My wife and I spent many satisfying miles on the backs of our motorcycles, both two-up and each on our own. Eventually we exchanged our Harley's for dual-sport machines, which I loved to take out to the old brickyards landfill in Riverside, as well as our annual trek to Colorado and the Rocky Mountains. Again, many new friendships were forged and treasured. I also was privy to bonding with many exceptional individuals in Winnebago. Students, co-workers, and parents make up the lion's share, but many others left their mark on me as well. I have also lost a good number of close friends and relatives; my dear brother Tias in 1989, my dad in 2005, and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins. My mom moved back to the States in 2017 with my half-brother Robin. Hopefully America will turn out to be all they had hoped. I will miss you all tremendously, but none more than my beloved Marsha. I am survived by my best friend and loving wife, Marsha; my mother Sabine; my brother Robin; a nephew Jordan Bliehl (Christina) and daughter Ayla; uncle Chick LaDue (Nancy) and cousins Robert, Richard, and Grace; cousin David LaDue (Annette) and their children Benny and Mitchell; cousin Margie McGonigle (Jack); uncle Herman Pfauter (Lizzie); uncle Tom Steinbeck and cousins Carl, Michaela, Birgett, and Johnny; aunt Thea Konig; uncle George Pfauter; numerous cousins in Germany; cousin Dick Donoway, daughter Erin, and her son Conner; brother-in-law Greg Lederer (Elizabeth) and nieces Alex (Nick) and Madeline; brother-in-law Jeff Lederer (Theresa) and nephews Brandon (Melissa), Justin (Diana), and niece Kati; aunt Margaret and cousins Kellie and Kathy (Jim) and her children Aaron and Nicole; and cousin Scott O'Connor (Patti) and their daughter Caitlyn. In my final journey, too many friends to mention have been so very helpful to Marsha and me. I must thank in particular our special friends John and Barb Redwine, who ignored the distance between their home in Arkansas and Sioux City, special angels Bill and Kathy Addison, Barbara Clinkenbeard, and my co-teachers Dale Mette (Sandy) and Mark Feight (Cheri). I also want to thank my two brothers-in-law and their spouses for everything they have done for Marsha and me over the last three years. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Winnebago Public School Foundation for student scholarships: Box KK, 202 Osborn, Winnebago, Nebraska 68071.