Marcia Ellen Graves

On Good Friday, April 7, 2023, Marcia Ellen Graves (nee Lance) passed away after an 11 year battle with Vascular Dementia. She was at home with her husband and daughter at her side. She was 80 years old.

Born in Altadena, CA on August 1, 1942, Marcia was the oldest of three daughters of F.E. “Gene” and Mary Elizabeth Lance (nee Gaar). After a cross-country journey that consumed most of her elementary school years, her family settled near Stoughton, Wisconsin where she attended Stoughton High School and was a member of the well-known Norwegian Folk Dancers. She excelled in school and participated in most student programs including playing the trombone in band and cheerleading.

Marcia graduated from the University of Wisconsin, with a degree in English. There, she met her future husband, David Graves. During her college years, Marcia participated in Intervarsity Christian Fellowship (IVCF) activities as a brand new, born-again Christian and during the summers would attend IVCF camp at Bear Trap Ranch just outside of Colorado Springs, CO. After camp, she worked for the rest of her summer breaks in Estes Park, Colorado where she fell in love with the mountains.

David and Marcia were married in Madison, Wisconsin on June 12th, 1964 at Faith Baptist Church (now Monona Oaks Community Church) and were married 58 years. Marcia and David settled in the suburban Minneapolis area (Minnetonka) where they lived for 26 years and raised their son, Michael and daughter, Carolyn (Cari). As they raised their children, Marcia and David would plan many ski and camping trips to the mountains in the US and Canada, adopting Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada as one of their most favorite…creating great family memories and providing wonderful subjects for Marcia’s blooming photography skills. During times of economic challenge, Marcia worked full time as an Office Manager for different businesses.

In 1991, they learned that Cari would be settling in Colorado Springs, CO after college and made the decision to realize Marcia’s dream of living near the mountains and moved to Lakewood, CO.

Marcia was close to both of her sisters, particularly Marilyn, who was a year, a month, and a day younger than Marcia. Baby sister, Margo came along 11 years later…completing the “3m Sisters.”. The three of them shared comedy, drama, strength, a zest for life, and a passionate love of Jesus Christ. Marcia thrived during family get togethers that were full of laughter, cooking, activities, crafts, and she loved beating everyone at cards. She enjoyed completing complex cross-stitch projects, knitting, stamping, singing, playing tennis, downhill skiing, reading, and hiking. She produced beautiful flower and scenic photos and created greeting cards that she would then gift to family and friends…much to their delight. When she wasn’t sleeping, she was always active, always doing. Marcia loved to attend the many tennis matches, rowing competitions, volleyball, basketball and softball games throughout Mike and Cari’s high school and college years.

Cocker Spaniels were a central part of Marcia’s life from childhood on. Marcia loved to groom and train and hike with her fur babies, often owning them in pairs because two were always better than one. They were always on her lap, or in the car, or on a hike with both Marcia and David on their travel adventures. They, too, were the subjects of many of her best photographs.

Marcia invested much of her time and passion for Jesus by serving in ministry with Mothers of Pre-Schoolers (MOPS) and Christian Women’s Club groups in both Minnesota and Colorado. Her leadership and organizing skills always found her leading from the front. She was an avid reader and always had her well-loved Bible open and she faithfully scribbled in it during her daily walks with God. She loved Jesus. She loved her family.

Marcia was diagnosed with dementia in 2012. In 2016, David moved them both from Castle Rock, CO to Colorado Springs to be closer to their daughter, Cari, as they prepared for what was ahead of her. Though the battle with the disease lasted more than 11 years, she was loved and cared for every day until she was called home on Good Friday to be with her Savior, Jesus.

Marcia Ellen Graves is survived by her husband, David Graves of Colorado Springs, CO, her children Michael (Jennifer) Graves of Chaska, MN and Carolyn (Kristi) Graves of Colorado Springs, CO, her sisters, Marilyn (Roger) Stauter of Sun Prairie, WI and Margo (Brian) Fieseler of Oconomowoc, WI, her nieces, Emily (Shane) Lyons, Rebecca (James) Hansen, and Tori (Matthew) Fieseler, her nephew, Timothy (Donna) Oman, and her six grandchildren, Jackson, Hunter, Logan, Emma, Sawyer, and Wyatt Graves.

The family would like to thank the dedicated staff of Abode Hospice and Gentle Shepherd caregivers for their love and care of Marcia for the past 20 months.

A Celebration of Life service is planned for 2 PM on Monday, April 17th, 2023 at the Door Creek Church Chapel located at 6602 Dominion Dr., Madison, Wisconsin, 53718. The service will also be broadcast live online and can be viewed at the following website: https://doorcreekchurch.org/watchlive/ The service will also be recorded and can be made available at a later date by contacting the family.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Marcia’s memory to the Navigator’s Eagle Lake Camps Ministry at https://donations.navigators.org/s/fund/a4e1Q000000cwPdQAI/eagle-lake-camps.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.Swan-Law.com for the Graves family.