Marian Cretzmeyer Passes Away

March 7, 2013

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Marian Cretzmeyer, the wife of former University of Iowa track and field coach Francis X. Cretzmeyer, passed away on Feb. 28, 2013, at the age of 94.

Marian married Francis X. Cretzmeyer in 1939 following her education at the University of Iowa. The Cretzmeyers committed more than 60 years to the Hawkeye track and field program beginning in 1948, when Francis was named head coach.

“I called her the matriarch of Iowa track and field,” said UI director of track and field Larry Wieczorek. “She was very much involved with our program before she passed. I spoke with her before we left for the Big Ten Championships and she wanted a report. She’s been a part of our program since 1948, and she helped make the Cretzmeyer name a great one in the history of Iowa athletics.”

The Hawkeyes’ home track bears the Cretzmeyer name, as does an endowed scholarship given for the specific benefit of a UI student-athlete. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Cretzmeyer-Keatinge Track and Field Scholarship, c/o Larry Wieczorek, UI Athletic Dept., Iowa City, IA, 52242 or to Iowa City Hospice.

Marian is survived by three daughters, Mary Fran Niemeyer and her husband John of Iowa City and their children, Christopher, Michael, Brian, Elizabeth and Patrick (Katie); Catherine McGarvey and her husband John of St. Augustine, FL and their children Mary Catherine, Matthew (Ha), John (Sarah) and Daniel; Margaret Cretzmeyer of Iowa City; two sons, Francis X. Cretzmeyer III and his wife Linda of Coralville and their children Angela Axeen (Travis), Brian, Sarah and Matthew; and John Cretzmeyer of Des Moines; three sisters, Clare Wheeler of Spencer, Patricia Shellady of Kansas City and Margaret Cornwall of Oakland, CA.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, her grandson Brian Cretzmeyer and two siblings, John Cornwall and Barbara Mueller.