Alixandra Marbro “Marbie” Rush-Osborn, 1944 – 2026

Alixandra Marbro Rush, 81, passed away peacefully at her home while in hospice care on May 24, 2026, after a courageous battle with cancer. Marbie was loved by family and friends, and she will be sorely missed.

Marbie was born on August 31, 1944, in Walter Reed Hospital, Washington D.C. to George E. and LaVern B. (Frank) Rush of Sioux City, Iowa, stationed at Fort Belvoir, Virginia during World War II.

The Rush family moved from Sioux City to Lincoln, Nebraska in 1955. Marbie graduated from Lincoln Northeast High School in 1962, and from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, in 1966 with a BA degree in Anthropology. She worked for the Nebraska State Historical Society, as Educational Curator until 1969.

She married Lawrence “Larry” E. Eckholt in 1966. They had one son, Tobin, born in Iowa City, Iowa. While this chapter in her life ended with a divorce, the family remained tight-knit and loving. A long-time resident of Iowa City, Marbie was proud of her eighteen years of work as an Architectural Administrator with WNP+P Architects, Geiger-Schoenfelder Engineers, and William Nowysz & Associates.

In 1990, she met Glen D. Osborn, an engineer. They married in February 1994 in Iowa City, Iowa. Marbie and Glen moved to Milan, Illinois in 1995. She joined KONE as Contract File manager, retiring after a decade. She was active in the Milan Citizen Corps from its inception and in the beginnings of the village-wide Milan Yard Sales. She enjoyed reading, scrapbooking, genealogy and cooking. She loved the family cats and was seldom without a cat on her lap while reading or solving a crossword puzzle.

From the Loess Hills to the Mississippi Valley, the Tallgrass Prairie of Nebraska to the Driftless region of Illinois, she loved the Midwest and felt a deep connection to this land.

Marbie kept meticulous records and calendars, and she was always thinking of family and friends first. As a result, she was famous for -- and dedicated to -- sending birthday and anniversary cards, congratulatory notes, letters of all sorts, and quirky gifts. Marbie wanted you to know that she loved you.

Survived by husband, Glen D. Osborn, Milan; son Tobin Rush Eckholt (Jean), Seattle, WA; sister Amalie Hill (Robert), Jefferson, OR; sister-in-law Carol Eckholt Krajicek, Omaha, NE; brother-in-law Tracy L. Osborn (Angie), Bellevue, NE; sister-in-law Gail Behrens (Tim), Bellevue, NE.

Nephews: Jasen Hill, Seth Hill, Bryan Krajicek, Nicholas Krajicek, Aaron Krajicek and Sean Smith. Nieces: Sara Krajicek Levy, Katie Eckholt Nolan, Emily Osborn, Mary Osborn Malmberg, Pam Harp, Kim Harp, twelve great-nephews, and eight great-nieces.

She was preceded in death by her parents, George & LaVern Rush, father-in-law Harry Osborn, mother-in-law Dorothy Osborn Beck, stepmother-in-law Mary Jo Parker-Osborn, and former husband, Larry Eckholt.

Marbie was raised Unitarian and converted to Nichiren Shōshū Buddhism in 1995.

Burial will be Thursday May 28, 2026 in Casper Creek Natural Cemetery, Galena. A memorial gathering will be held at Wheelan-Pressly Funeral Home and Crematory, Milan at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that tribute gifts be made to Living Lands & Waters -- to support river cleanups and watershed conservation initiatives. https://www.livinglandsandwaters.org/