Marjorie Kunkel

Marjorie Fern Williams was born at home in Dewey County, Oklahoma, on January 30, 1920 to Lee and Fern Williams. Lee and Fern already had a son, Clifford, and six years later, he was joined by baby Marjorie. Their father, Lee, owned a Sinclair dealership in Butler, OK, which by the 1930's was a thriving town of 400 people. Butler was a friendly community where everyone knew each other, and it must have rubbed off. Marjorie spent a lifetime getting to know just about everyone she met. It was her gift.

Her brother Clifford had a paper route that she ran with him. Once her legs were long enough to reach the pedals, he would let her drive their old Model T Ford under the condition that she "didn't tell the folks." Their secret was safe, and her life-long love of driving began. It was a very sad time indeed when, in her 90s, she could no longer sit behind the wheel and drive to parts unknown.

Marjorie attended all 12 grades in Butler, OK, and over the years she managed to keep in contact with a few close classmates by phone, visits, or mail in spite of distances and circumstances. Gradually the numbers diminished until there was no more contact. She had outlived them all.

When she was in her late teens, she met a dashing young man named Jack Kunkel, and he won her heart. They were sitting in a car when he popped the question, and with tears, she said, "Yes." They married in December of 1939 and were together for almost 40 years before Jack died of cancer. She found herself widowed at age 59 and never remarried. He was the love of her life.

Jack and Marjorie had two daughters, Karen, in 1941, and Jennifer, in 1944. Jack worked in the oilfields of Texas, so they moved there until he retired from Hughes Tool Company as district sales manager. Marjorie was a stay-at-home mom, but she had plenty of outside interests. She served as PTA president when her daughters were in grade school. She became involved in Ector County Republican Party activities. She taught First Aid classes and was active in Civil Defense projects in the 1950s.

An avid reader, she kept up with the times, and participated in a local Progressive Study Club to sharpen her awareness of current issues. She was a hospital volunteer in Odessa TX, and helped start a Candy Striper branch for teens to volunteer as well. Her daughters were among the beneficiaries of her efforts.

Of the generation when hospitality was expected and an art, she helped her husband to fulfill company responsibilities by entertaining and hosting. She loved cooking and as she put it, "serving up a big meal."

Marjorie had gone to church regularly as a child, and in her adult life committed herself to living by the principles she read in scripture. She attended church services regularly on the Sabbath, and observed yearly Holy Days for decades. She read the Bible through once each year for at least ten years, and was known to give Daily Reading Bibles as gifts to friends for their encouragement and enjoyment.

They had retired to where they had grown up in Oklahoma and there Jack died. Marjorie stayed on there until, in her 80s, she decided to leave her roots, and move closer to her daughter, Karen Meeker. She knew the time would come when she would need help, and characteristically tried to make it as convenient and easy as possible.

Around the end of 2014 she began to have some health problems, and eventually came to reside in Mount Carmel Senior Living in St. Charles, MO. True to form, she captured the hearts of those who knew her, acting as a sort of unofficial greeter to any and all she met. She received loving care there, and she loved everyone in return.

By the time of her death, at age 98, Marjorie had weathered all that life had presented: widowhood; the loss of a daughter; and loss of her independence. But she also saw a family grow from two daughters to two sons-in-law, six grandchildren, several great-grandchildren, and one great-great granddaughter. Her family was her joy.

Her legacy? Leaving the world a better, happier, more loving place than how she found it. Marjorie Kunkel passed away peacefully on August 21, 2018.

A memorial ceremony will be held at 1:00 pm Sunday, October 14, 2018 at Newcomer Cremations, Funerals & Receptions, 837 Mid Rivers Mall Drive, Saint Peters, MO 63376.

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