Marjorie Mercer

Independent and active, Marjorie L. Mercer was a dedicated wife and mother, adoring her family and enjoying nothing more than her time with them. She had endured difficult times, but those occasions made her strong and self-confident. She loved being out-of-doors and had many hobbies.

Born on December 7, 1924, in Muskegon, Michigan, Marjorie entered a world full of challenges. The United States would soon plummet into economic turmoil during the Great Depression, to be followed by the horrors of World War II. Marjorie's own life would have its own share of difficulties. The first child of Floyd and Amy McPhall, Marjorie was the oldest in a family that would eventually grow to include ten children. She was fun-loving and energetic, sledding and skating in the winter, and riding bikes in the summer. She would retain her love for the outdoors throughout her life. She also showed impressive ingenuity, making stilts for the neighborhood kids to play with, fashioning slingshots from old inner tubes, and molding marbles from clay and painting them bright colors.

In time, Marjorie's mother became a single parent and had the heavy burden of raising their large family alone. Marjorie, as the oldest, left school to help her mother care for the needs of the family. During World War II, Marjorie worked at Continental Motors assembling bomber engines for airplanes. After the war, Marjorie went to work at the AC Sparkplug plant in Muskegon. It was there in 1947 that she met a gentleman named Max Mercer. Marjorie and Max were married in 1949. Max went to Diesel Engine School for General Motors in Chicago. They lived there for two years. Afterward he was sent to work in the General Motors plant in Grand Rapids. They initially lived on Rogers Street, and later moved to Woodworth Street.

The young couple shared many common interests and enjoyed outdoor activities together. They both loved to hunt and participated in both gun and bow hunting. They also enjoyed fishing together, but Marjorie always let Max bait the hook. They liked racing as well, often visiting Whiskey Ridge Race Track in Muskegon. They even had an old Ford that they raced, #711. They loved mushrooming, hunting for morels, stumpers and puffballs.

The Mercer family grew to include three wonderful children, Kathleen, Michele, and Timothy. Marjorie and Max loved spending time with them and they enjoyed many vacations together. They covered a lot of ground across the United States, visiting Vermont, Pennsylvania, and the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. They also traveled out west, stopping by Mt. Rushmore, Yellowstone National Park, the Grand Tetons, the Grand Canyon, and Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The family also spent a substantial amount of time outdoors, camping, snowmobiling, and ice fishing. As the children grew, Marjorie taught them all how to shoot a bow as well.

Marjorie became a wonderful example for her children and grandchildren regarding the importance of education. In 1973 at the age of forty-eight, Marjorie earned her high school diploma from Rockford High School. While attending, she took Woodshop and completed several projects.

Marjorie stayed very busy with her family and her job. She was a loyal employee at Lear Siegler, working there for over thirty years until her retirement. Marjorie was never one to be idle and enjoyed a variety of activities. She was particularly fond of Bingo, often playing three times a week. She enjoyed the slots at Mt. Pleasant, sometimes making the long drive alone. She was an avid reader and loved mystery novels by the likes of Agatha Christie and Faith Hellerman. She shared her love of reading with her daughters and they would often trade books with each other. She had collected many of the state quarters and enjoyed genealogy, having extensively traced her own family back three generations. She loved the music of the Big Band era, especially Glenn Miller and Judy Garland. She was a talented cook, specializing in chicken and dumplings, beef tips and noodles, and pork ribs and chops. She herself favored chicken and always selected the white meat.

Some of Marjorie's favorite events were holidays with her loved ones, laughing, swapping stories, and sharing good food. At times, some of those happy occasions were overshadowed by sadness, however. Marjorie's mother passed away in October of 1976, and Marjorie lost her beloved Max on May 30, 1989. The sadness in her heart was eased by the great joy she found in her two grandchildren, Shane and Amy.

Marjorie became ill with COPD, and was diagnosed with cancer. She passed away suddenly, only five days later, on Wednesday, November 12, 2003, under the loving care of the wonderful staff at Hospice of Holland Home. She was preceded in death by her husband, Max L. Mercer, in 1989; a sister; and three brothers. Marjorie was seventy-eight years old. Marjorie is survived by her children, Kathy and Pat Mooney and Michele and Patrick Wozniak, all of Grand Rapids, and Tim Mercer of Newaygo, Michigan; her grandchildren, Shane Mooney and Amy Mercer; her brother and sisters, Donald (Marjorie) McPhall, Jean (Joe) Newmyer, and Patricia (George) Salisbury; sister-in-law, Ann McPhall; brother-in-law Tom Anderson; and many nieces, nephews, and friends.

Friends will be received on Sunday, November 16, from 2-4 PM and from 7-9 PM at Van Strien-Creston Chapel, 1833 Plainfield NE. A service celebrating Marjorie's life will be held at the chapel Monday, November 17, at 11:00 AM. Burial will follow at Fairplains Cemetery. To read Marjorie's complete life story, share a memory, send flowers, or make a memorial contribution to Hospice of Holland Home or the Van Andel Institute for Cancer Research, please visit her personal web page at www.lifestorynet.com.

Marjorie leaves her friends and family with sweet memories of her love, her laughter, and her life. They will cherish each and every one.