Hood River, OR. October 30, 2023 - On Sunday, September 10th, 2023, Marjorie Louise Routson entered into the presence of her lord, Jesus Christ. Marjorie was reunited with beloved family members and friends all of whom have embraced Jesus as lord and savior.

Life for Marjorie began on January 3rd, 1927, at a farmhouse in Osborne County, Kansas. She was the first child of Floyd W. and Mildred G. Wilson. She was named Margie by her parents but when her birth certificate came, the state had changed her name to Margorie.

In August of 1930, Marjorie was joined by her sister Virginia Ford Wilson. The two sisters were friends for life. Marjorie enjoyed farm life and the cats, dogs, chickens, cattle, and horses. She got in trouble playing with the wildlife but did not let that bother her. Stories of bringing home poisonous snakes on a stick and gathering Indian Arrowheads from the hillside were part of her life. Marjorie attended a one-room schoolhouse and for part of that time, her teacher was Mr. McNerney (Tiny), her Uncle.

In 1939 Marjorie, Virginia, and their parents relocated to the Pacific Northwest. Her father, Floyd, was tired of farming in the Kansas Dust Bowl. Searching for a sustainable life and with directions from a hitch-hiking Nebraska college student they made their way to Parkdale, Oregon. On their first night in Parkdale, Floyd and the college student lodged in a barn on a farm that would soon be Marjorie’s home.

When first located in Parkdale, Marge was not really impressed with the area. She told Virginia as they walked around town “I don’t see anything wonderful about this place”. They had traveled from the dust bowl of Kansas to the smoky skies of Oregon. They had arrived in the middle of the Tillamook burn, it was days before the sky cleared and the mountain she loved and painted on canvas was visible.

At age 13 she tried diving off a bridge with her bike, this did not go well but it did get her a 5-month vacation at Shriners Hospital in Portland. While there she met a candidate for the president of the USA and Marjorie Routson, a nurse with the name she would one day carry.

Marjorie went to Parkdale schools graduating from Parkdale High School. It was here that she met her future husband Eugene Routson, but before that could occur a war was to be fought and she attended Willamette College. In March of 1946, her brother Thomas Keith Wilson was born.

On December 15, 1946, Marjorie (Margie) Wilson married Eugene (Bud) Rouston on a snowy day in Parkdale at the United Church of the Upper Valley. In 1948 their first child Marsa Ann was born and in 1951 their son Marvin Allin came along. In 1952 their daughter Martha Annette was born. Marge was a homemaker and a mother at heart. She always had a big garden. She canned and preserved year after year mountains of fruit and vegetables.

Marge and Bud were an impressive team in the orchard. Marge was the field boss during harvest while Bud was busy loading the fruit. She was also a bin checker, and tractor driver and had the pen that wrote the employee’s checks. She found that the pen was very useful in pointing out the right and wrong ways of handling the fruit.

In the fall and after harvest Mom worked at AGA and Diamond Fruit. At first, she packed fruit in Parkdale and at the end of her career she was in charge of packaging at Diamond Central in Odell. The last day of each packing season was anticipated by her children, as they knew she was home with them again. There was always something special about knowing that Mom was at home.

Marge loved family camping. She loved playing cards with family until the wee hours of the morning. Marge and Bud went on several cruise ship tours and enjoyed reunions with Bud’s shipmates from the big war.

She was gifted with cooking and baking, and in art, she excelled. Mt. Hood was probably her favorite subject which she recreated on canvas many times. As time went by and the kids grew up she became a Mother in law and eventually a Grandma and great-grandmother. She loved, spoiled, and became friends with her twelve grandkids, Thaddeus & Becky, Megan & Gavin, Trista & Ryan, Dustin & Tara, Seth & Molly, Don & Becky. She was also proud and loved her twelve great-grandchildren, Taylor Routson, Isaac Marble, Sarah Routson, Abigail Marble, and Trevor Beam. Rylyn Beam, Ezekial Marble, Alexander Goe, Josiah Marble, Adelynn Goe, Virginia Routson, Henry Goe.

Marjorie and Bud lived on the family farm from 1946 to 2008. In 2008 Bud passed and Margie continued to live at home until February of 2015. She lived there a little more the 68 years at 8620 Cooper Spur Road. She then moved to Down Manor in August of 2022. She moved to Hawks Ridge and lived there until September 2023.

When Marjorie was 35 years old she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She went through a radical surgical procedure and was told she had one year to live. In her last years of life, she talked of her prayers during that traumatic period. What she asked for was not healing or extended life. She asked the Lord for a wonderful wife for her husband and a mother for her children. God answered her prayers, God gave Bud a wonderful wife and gave us kids a wonderful mother. He gave us our mother, and we were blessed with a mom for another 61 years.

The family would like to thank everyone at Down Manor and Hawks Ridge who loved and cared for Marjorie.

A Memorial service for Marjorie Louise Routson will be held at 1:00 P.M. on November 4th, 2023 at Parkdale Community Church (4910 Baseline Dr, Mt Hood, OR 97041) with a reception to follow.

Visit www.AndersonsTributeCenter.com to leave a note of condolence for the family.