Membership Spotlight on Julie Marlow Member since 11/11/2013
Julie is currently our esteemed Vice Regent. She was installed as Vice Regent in 2016; prior to that she served two years as Financial Secretary. She has been a “worker bee” in our court for the past four years. As Vice Regent it is her job to make sure every member receives a greeting card on their birthday and for their membership anniversary. Not only has Julie been a dedicated officer, attending officer meetings, court meetings and fulfilling her duties; she has taken on the publication of our Court Newsletter. She has conducted the 50/50 raffles at meetings, since we started the practice in September of 2015. For the past two years she has organized and run the Lenten Raffles at the Queen of Apostles and St. Albert locations. Bringing the Lenten Raffle items to the Education Contest Dinner is welcomed by parents and students, increasing our profit. She also has helped with monies, set-up and clean-up at our Salad Luncheons each July. Hauling around that money box and all those raffle tickets is no small task! She performs these duties dependably, consistently and with a smile of good cheer.
Dedication to the Catholic Daughters of the Americas (CDA) comes naturally to Julie, as she is a fourth generation CDA Sister. Her Great-Grandmother, Anna Herzog, was a member of Mason City, IA Court Joan of Arc #152. Her Grandmother, Rosanne Bartholomew, is still a member of that court. Julie’s Mother, Deb Ballantyne, currently serves as Vice Regent of Court #152. Four generations of service to the Catholic Daughters is such a legacy! (See photo of Julie(R) with her Mom Deb(L) at the last State of Iowa CDA convention May 5-7, 2017) What a wonderful connection among the generations of women in her family! But, service to others is not exclusive to the females of her family. Julie’s Father, Bob Ballantyne, donated a beautiful, handcrafted wooden stand for our Court’s CDA banner just this past year. We are so grateful for his woodworking skill and will put that stand to good use for many years to come.
Julie Ballantyne attended High School at Newman Catholic in Mason City, Iowa, graduating in 1994. She attended both NIACC (North Iowa Area Community College) and Mercy College of Health Sciences in Des Moines. It was after her move to Des Moines that she met her husband Troy Marlow. Troy and Julie married in November,1996 at Christ the King Catholic Church in Des Moines; Julie would later serve on their school board. The Marlows moved to Council Bluffs in 2011. These days Julie works remotely (at home) for Principal Financial Group of Des Moines, and commutes to Des Moines every couple of weeks for meetings.
The Marlow family includes her stepson Zach, aged 27 who lives in Des Moines. Son Tristan, age 20, a graduate of St. Albert, who is working on a History Major (with a Minor in Religious Studies) at the University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls. Tristan is also active as a Grand Knight in the Knights of Columbus there. Daughter Trinity, age 16, is a Junior at St. Albert. Troy and Julie are big St. Albert supporters, attending games and events as their children have gone through the system. This year, their daughter Trinity performs with the St. Albert Dance Team.
The Marlows are Corpus Christi Parishioners. Julie is a Sacristan and a Eucharistic Minister. She takes communion to Bethany Lutheran and Bethany Heights care homes on a regular basis. Her hobbies include photography, scrapbooking and genealogy research. Julie and Troy love to entertain groups of friends on game days and other celebrations. They are Dallas Cowboy fans. Julie says, “I enjoy CDA because I work from home and it is a nice social time with ladies who share my Faith and values.”
Recently Julie took her two dogs to the groomers and the assistant went back to get her dog Zeus. She returned laughing, stating “Zeus was not what I was expecting!” Zeus is a Yorkie, weighing in at 3 pounds! Their other dog, also a little Yorkie, weighs in at a whopping 6 pounds! His name is Apollo! These adorable, fluffy, tiny dogs have mighty names that reflect the humor and joy that we see in Julie. We thank Julie for her devotion to our Court, the Church and the Community. She is a blessing to us all. By Carol Hollenbeck, Web Manager
“Those who have done good deeds will rise to life.” John 5:29