Marilyn Redfern

Marilyn E. Redfern, 84, passed away on October 23, 2026. She was born on April 24, 1942, in Alliance, NE, to Edgar and Amelia (Kruml) Hankins. She grew up on a small farm north of Hay Springs, NE. The oldest of four children and the only girl, she helped care for her younger brothers and worked in the garden while her parents tended the family farm.

Marilyn graduated from Hay Springs High School in 1960. She met Larry Redfern at a local dance hall, and they were married on August 8, 1962, at St. Columbkille Catholic Church in Hay Springs, NE. They settled on the farm and ranch eight miles east of Chadron where Larry had grown up. Marilyn was an avid gardener. She grew many different types of vegetables that she harvested for canning and freezing to feed the family. Her three children especially enjoyed all of the different kinds of pickles that she canned each summer. She also made many kinds of jellies and jams from wild fruit picked from the bushes and trees near her home. She was especially dedicated to her flower gardens and enjoyed planting many different types of flowers each spring. She loved to bake and enjoyed sharing her treats with neighbors and friends as well as with her family.

Marilyn treasured time with her family and friends. She and Larry enjoyed playing cards with their children, extended family and friends. Once her children were grown, she enjoyed traveling to visit them and other family and friends who lived out of state. As a grandmother, she helped care for the grandchildren who lived on a neighboring farm and enjoyed spending time with her nieces and nephews as well as the other neighborhood children. She and Larry also traveled as often as possible to visit the grandchildren who lived out of state.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Larry, and her brothers Allan Richard “Dick” Hankins and Dennis Hankins. She is survived by her youngest brother, Randy Hankins, and her three children: Melvin of Fort Morgan, CO; Lyndal and his wife, Teena, of Chadron; and Lanette and her husband, Michael Tynan, of Draper, UT. She also leaves four grandchildren: Josh and Renee Redfern of Chadron; Emily Tynan of Melbourne, FL; and Ashley Tynan of Garland, TX.

A Celebration of Life is tentatively planned for her birthday, April 24, 2027, with details to be shared closer to the date. Marilyn loved reading and spending time at the local library, so in lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in her name to the Chadron Public Library Foundation.