Marian E. McIntyre

Marian McIntyre was a woman of great compassion and great joy. Through times of hardship and happiness, Marian always maintained an outlook that cherished and celebrated life. Above all else, Marian was a family woman and it was being with her family that was the source of her strength and her reason for joy.

In the year 1922, the United States was entering a time of great economic prosperity and growth. It was in this year that we memorialized the work of our 16th President with the dedication of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. In the scientific arena, insulin was discovered as the substance that regulates sugar levels in our bodies and was put into practice as treatment for diabetes. But the happenings around the country were little to compare to the excitement of parents Theodore and Ruth (Thomas) Miller of Traverse City, MI. On the 17th of April, 1922 their daughter Marian Edythe was born into this world.

Marian was sibling to Ted, Tommy, Mona, RuthAnne and Mary Agnes. When they lived in the old hotel house, the garden was across the street down by the river. Marian taught her siblings to always carry a big stick to hit the plants with to make sure there were no snakes in the bushes before they reached in to pick the vegetables. Marian loved to garden all her life.

Marian graduated from Traverse City High School when there was no division between Central or Western. After high school she worked at a 5 & 10 nickel and dime store. After working at the store she became a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) and shortly thereafter began her work at the Vet's Facility in Grand Rapids. Having dedicated thirty years of her life to nursing, Marian retired from her work in Grand Rapids in the late seventies.

It wasn't long after she began nursing that Marian met Eugene Orrin McIntyre. They were married and had one beautiful boy together named after his father. Through grief and pain, Marian never lost sight of the beauty that still existed in life and continued to raise their son. When Eugene was in the Air Force, Marian was able to travel overseas to Spain and Germany where he was stationed.

Marian was a fun loving person and enjoyed all aspects of life. Among her favorites were bowling when she was younger, fishing, camping and cats. Her two most recent cats, Milo and Katie #4, clearly fell into a long line of personal companions.

There is no question that Marian's family life was at the center of her heart. At family get togethers she loved spending time with any or all of her 50+ grandchildren, great, great-great and great-great-great grandchildren and the word "step" was never in Marian's vocabulary. Family was family and everyone was treated as such. She loved seeing the new babies come into the family and always had little gifts or treats for them. Her daughter-in-law, Lorna, remembers that regardless of their relation to her, Marian always said that she simply inherited them all.

Marian used to go up North when the smelt were running to go try her luck, which she always had. She would come back with sea foam, cherries, and of course, smelt. Canning the cherries and frying up the smelt would follow in short order. It wasn't only for fishing that Marian and her family traveled up North. She drove the family up to Elk Rapids every summer for fun swimming, shopping, picking cherries and more. Wonderful summers and great memories were made by all.

Marian's sister, RuthAnne shares these words about her sister: Marian had some very difficult challenges in her life that would have made others become bitter and mean-spirited, but not her. She always had a wonderful outlook on life, even when she had cancer. She was a survivor of this dreaded disease and she reached out to other people facing the same challenges, using her nursing background, cheerful disposition and wisdom to help them and their families.

With most of Marian's family knowing her as grandma, it is no wonder that she was most commonly referred to as "Grandma Great." But Grandma Great was not just a name that her grandchildren called her. Marian's entire life was marked by greatness. Her life was not big and showy and probably was not really known outside of her community. But she gave her life to her family and filled their lives with greatness. Without, Grandma Great, it is certain that her family and their children to come, would not know the greatness of simply loving someone because they're your family and beyond that nothing else matters. Grandma Great, we will miss you.

Mrs. Marian Edythe McIntyre, of Grand Rapids, died on August 25, 2006. She was preceded in death by her husband, Eugene O. McIntyre; parents Theodore and Ruth Miller; brothers Dr. Theodore Miller and Tommy Miller. Marian's family includes her son Eugene (Lorna) McIntyre; grandchildren Katherine Vasquez, Eugene (Debbie) McIntyre, Jr., Debra (Jim) Rogers, Karen (Norman) McBee, Duane (Rena) Smith, Elvern (BJ) Smith, Robert (Kristina) Smith, Cindy (Buzz) Inbody; several great grandchildren; great-great grandchildren; great-great-great grandchildren; sisters RuthAnne (Basil) Norton, Mona (Dale) Alger, Mary Agnes Edwards; sister-in-law Betty Miller.

Friends are invited to meet with the family on Monday, August 28, 2006 from 7-9 PM at the Heritage Life Story Funeral Homes - Van Strien-Creston Chapel, 1833 Plainfield NE. The service to celebrate Marian's life will be held on Tuesday, August 29, 2006 at 10 AM at the funeral chapel with Rev. Helen Collins officiating. Interment at Riverside Cemetery in Hastings. Please visit Marian's personal memory page at www.lifestorynet.com where you can share a memory, send flowers, or make a contribution in Marian's memory to the Lacks Cancer Center.