Marvel Lou Riesop

Marvel Lou “Tootie” Riesop, 95, of Waterloo, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, at Riverwalk Senior Living.

Marvel was born on February 19, 1930, in a cheese factory in Pardeeville, the daughter of Fritz and Bernice (Wakeman) Hasler. On June 10, 1949, Marvel was united in marriage to Lawrence Riesop at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Waterloo, and the couple was blessed with five children.

Her father was a citizen of Switzerland who immigrated to America, where he met her mother. They married and had Marvel Lou, whom her father affectionately nicknamed “Tootie.” When she was just two years old, the family boarded a ship in New York and crossed the ocean to her father’s homeland. After a year in Switzerland, her father passed away from tuberculosis, and plans were made for the family to return home.

Marvel worked in the nursing home industry as an aide and eventually as Activities Director at the Columbus Care Center. After retirement, she enjoyed tending to her ever-changing flowerbeds, spending time with her children and grandchildren, traveling back to Switzerland multiple times to visit family, volunteering at the Waterloo Historical Museum, and lending a hand wherever she was needed.

Marvel is survived by her children, Douglas (Lynn) Riesop, Peter Riesop, Keri (Jeff) Sellnow, and Brian Riesop; daughter-in-law Maura Riesop; grandchildren Shawn (Kasey) Riesop, Justin (Chrystal) Riesop, Brent Riesop, Ryan (Maggie) Riesop, Tyler (Selena) Sellnow, Ben Sellnow, Whitney (Wes) Lewis, MaKenzie (Charles) Gordon, Meghan Hielsberg, and Travis (Lauren) Riesop; 15 great-grandchildren, with one more on the way.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Lawrence; son, Reginald; grandson-in-law Brent Hielsberg; and half-brother, Marvin Haberman.

A funeral service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Monday, October 27, 2025, at St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church in Waterloo, with Rev. James Adomeit presiding. Visitation will be held from 11:00 a.m. until the time of service at the church. Marvel will be privately laid to rest at Washington Cemetery.