Mr. Marlin D. Engelhardt, 80, of Covington passed away March 13 at Riverside Healthcare Center in Covington. Mr. Engelhardt was born in Saronville, Neb., the son of Victor E. and Katherine Brening Engelhardt.

He worked with short-horned show cattle and Limousin cattle in Kentucky and Indiana for many years before coming to Georgia and working with Purina Foods. After working at Purina Foods, Mr. Engelhardt went to work for Leggett and Platt making mattresses. He eventually opened and operated GKM Furniture Company in Social Circle, selling custom-made mattresses.

He loved to have pit barbecues, which he referred to as “underground cooking,” where he cooked all kinds of meats and wild game dinners for family and friends. He loved farming and gardening. He gave away much of what he grew to others. He was a member of the Covington Lion’s Club and Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church in Social Circle where he and his wife were married and where he loved singing in the choir.

Mr. Engelhardt is survived by his loving wife Lea Engelhardt of Covington; son Grant Engelhardt of Jacksonville, Fla.; daughter Kaytie Wright of Covington; stepdaughters Sherry (Mike) Maloney of Gainesville and Debbie Thompson of Social Circle; sister Dee and Phil Erlander of Colorado Springs, Colo.; sister-in-law Rosalie Engelhardt of Hastings, Neb., 12 grandchildren, four great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, his stepson Allan DeLoach in 2003 and his brother Tom Engelhardt in 2009.

Services for Mr. Engelhardt will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 17, at Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church with the Rev. Charles Swaney officiating. His family will receive friends at Wheeler Funeral Home from 4 to 6 p.m. tomorrow, March 16. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church – Roofing Fund, 55 County Road 229, Social Circle, GA 30025.