Marlin Jay Fortkamp, 89, of Wauneta passed away Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026, at Wauneta Care and Therapy Center. He was born Dec. 11, 1936, on the South Divide to Fred and Merle (DeHart) Fortkamp, the second oldest of six children.

Marlin grew up in rural Wauneta and graduated with the Wauneta class of 1954. He married Norma Doetker on Jan. 31, 1954, at St. Paul Lutheran Church in rural Wauneta. Two sons, Terry and Steven, were born to this union. They were married for 50 years before Norma’s passing in 2004.

Having been involved in agriculture from an early age, Marlin dedicated much of his life to farming on the South Divide. He worked for the Chase County Road Department for 11 years, running a road grader, before purchasing the Sports Club in 1972. Marlin and Norma owned “The Pub” for 29 years. He spent many mornings drinking coffee and playing pitch with the boys there.

Hunting and fishing were two of Marlin’s favorite hobbies. With his son, Steve, he hunted for trophy bucks in the fall and jigged for master anglers on the ice in the winter. Summers were spent casting a line at Enders Lake or in the Stinking River with his granddaughter, Ashley.

A true Nebraskan, Marlin was a diehard Husker fan. He enjoyed watching college football and volleyball, but definitely had a few choice words for the football program the last few years. If the TV wasn’t on sports, it was either on Fox News or a Western movie.

Marlin was a longtime member of the Redeemer Lutheran Church in Wauneta. His faith was important to him and, in the end, he was ready for the good Lord to take him home.

Marlin is survived by his son, Steve; granddaughter Ashley and her husband, Cort Gracey; great-granddaughters Emma, Madelyn and Allyson; sisters Vaunda Hyde and Nita (Jerry) Frost; brothers Floyd (Lelia) and Gary (Gloria); brother-in-law Roger Estes; and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Norma; son Terry; parents Fred and Merle; father- and mother-in-law John and Lena Doetker; sister Mary Anne Estes; brothers-in-law Virgil Doetker, Gary (Diane) Doetker and Don Hyde; and niece Dawn McGill.

A memorial service will be 11 a.m. (MT) on Saturday, Sept. 12, at Redeemer Lutheran Church, 233 S. Arapahoe Ave., Wauneta, with Pastor Keith Wellman officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to the family for future designation.