Marcella Frances Hirsh Harrom

Marcella Frances Hirsh Harrom was born on Sabbath, October 9, 1926, at 4:30 pm in a humble, three-room, log-covered home, two miles north of the town of Verdigre, Nebraska. She was the firstborn of five siblings born to Czech parents Frank and Rose (Juracek) Hirsh. Her father worked as a farmer, growing corn and raising pigs, chickens and dairy cattle for milking, on a 60-acre parcel of farmland. Frank Hirsh was so poor that he did not own his farmland; instead, he rented it. To earn extra income, he served as treasurer of the local school district for many years and dug graves (by hand) for the local cemetery.

Marcella spoke only the Czech language until she was 4 years old and began attending school (first grade). When she was 7 years old, her mother purchased a piano with the idea that Marcella would take lessons. Her mother Rose had a passion for her daughter to play the piano, as she came from a family of musicians whose musical bands were locally famous. Rose sold eggs and cream in order to pay for the lessons. Marcella took lessons for the next five years, faithfully practicing the piano an hour every day. By the time she was a mere 12 years old, she was already an accomplished pianist and performed Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" (by memory) for her final recital at the local ZCBJ Hall in Verdigre. During her high school years, she served as pianist for the high school glee clubs and assemblies. In subsequent years, Marcella made sure that all six of her children learned to play the piano as well.

When Marcella started high school, she expanded her musical horizons by learning to play the clarinet. Soon she was playing in the Verdigre High School band. She liked challenges, was a bit competitive, and had a quick mind. So when the band teacher offered a prize to the first student who could memorize the first assigned band piece, Marcella was the first one to memorize it and win the prize.

Marcella rode her bicycle the two miles to school in good weather. In cold weather and blizzards, she stayed with either her grandparents, John and Antonia (Vorlicek) Hirsh, or her uncle Ed Juracek, as they lived in Verdigre. Marcella became close to her uncle Ed, and when he became a Lutheran, he shared his faith with her. He led her to accept a Savior who loved her and gave His life for her. Marcella excitedly joined the Lutheran Church in 1946, and with great fervor, she shared her newfound beliefs with her brothers Marvin and Don, who also joined the church.

Marcella graduated from Verdigre High School in 1943 at the age of 16. At her graduation ceremony, Marcella was presented with the School Citizenship Award, in recognition of all of her many outstanding qualities. She then went on to attend Wayne State Teachers College in Wayne, Nebraska. There she took the necessary courses to earn a teaching credential, which allowed her to obtain a job in a one-room, eight-grade country school near Creighton, Nebraska. Supervising twelve children of different ages and grade levels was quite challenging, but Marcella had the expertise for any task.

In December of 1943, Marcella attended a dance at the local ZCBJ Hall in Verdigre with a girlfriend. There she met a dashing, handsome man named Louie Harrom. There was instant attraction ("love at first sight"), and they immediately started dating. Their dates consisted of Louie "coming-a-courting" to her home and bringing along a box of chocolates for the family. He would sit on the piano bench next to her, while she would serenade him on the piano. Marcella's favorite song to sing to Louie was entitled "My Ideal," which described the ideal man (which she knew was Louie Harrom). Louie and Marcella married six months later at the local Lutheran parsonage in Bazile Mills, Nebraska, on June 6, 1944 ("D-Day"). After their honeymoon in Sioux City, Iowa, they moved to Bloomfield, Nebraska, where they resided until 1957.

In the fall of 1949, Marcella attended a series of evangelistic meetings in the town of Bloomfield, presented by Elder Dan Venden, President of the Nebraska Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. She witnessed the power of God in the presentations and was convicted of the truth of the message. Even though most of the town attended the meetings, only Marcella and one other lady accepted the message and joined the church. Louie drove Marcella the 53 miles to Norfolk, Nebraska, on Sabbath, December 17, 1949, so she could be baptized. He did not stand in the way of her convictions, and he too was later baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church on December 2, 1967.

Soon Marcella was part of getting an Adventist church built in her own town of Bloomfield. The newly-built Bloomfield SDA Church was only one block from home. Marcella held many church jobs there, including superintendent in the adult Sabbath School division, leader in children's divisions, pianist, and preacher. She could preach an eloquent, fervent sermon on the weeks the pastor was absent. She was truly a pillar in her church. And on Sabbath afternoons, Marcella would take her children to sing in local nursing homes, as she had a kind heart for the elderly.

Marcella gave birth to six children between 1945 and 1957 (four girls and two boys), all born in Bloomfield. David and Danny were born at home. (The names of the children will be mentioned at the end.) She was proud of all six of her children, and would always brag about their accomplishments in her yearly newsletter to family and friends.

Louie's lifetime occupation as a truck driver usually required him to be away during the week and home only on weekends. Marcella did her best in his absence, and often had to work doubly hard, but she never complained about this. She "put her hand to the proverbial plow" and hung on! She was very organized and ran the home quite smoothly. The children had their "to-do lists" of daily chores written on the blackboard. After the chores were finished, the children could play outside or swim at the local swimming pool. Even though she sometimes had to function like a single parent in Louie's absence, she did her best to do the right thing. She was very self-reliant and capable, and could perform almost any task. No job was too daunting for Marcella! Her mechanical and "fix-it" skills were quite amazing.

Marcella was a creative genius, and had a knack for remodeling old homes and making them look nice. She could make a silk purse from a sow's ear, so to speak. She was also a master at creating beautiful flower gardens. She was a true visionary, who could completely visualize a creative plan before it ever materialized. She would get very excited when she envisioned a new ambitious project. Marcella would often get very little sleep until her creative plans were completed. She once completely renovated an old farmhouse in Bloomfield, such that the landlord was amazed at the impressive transformation. And dear Louie never stood in the way of his wife's innovations and inspirations. He cheerfully supported Marcella, while her dreams became a reality.

Marcella knew her Bible very well and had a great memory for scripture verses. Once she beat her own Bloomfield pastor at a weekly Bible "spelldown" contest in which members were challenged to memorize Bible references on various topics. She had promised the pastor ahead of time that she was going to win the following week, when the subject was the second coming of Christ. Marcella spent the next week memorizing 200 Bible texts and won the next week's contest hands down. Later the pastor, Marcus Payne, told the story at Platte Valley Academy, in Shelton, Nebraska, for an inspiring chapel talk.

In November of 1957, Marcella and Louie moved 130 miles south of Bloomfield to a large home on 10 acres in Stromsburg, Nebraska. Here Marcella became an active member of the York SDA Church, which was 17 miles away. Every Sabbath, she would faithfully take all six of her children on a 34-mile, round-trip journey for Sabbath School and church in York, Nebraska. She held many church positions there, including preaching an occasional sermon, just as she had done in Bloomfield. She possessed a fervor and dedication to her God that was unparalleled. Marcella loved her Savior with all of her heart, soul, mind and strength, and zealously served Him in every aspect of her life.

On December 7, 1960, Marcella had a car accident in Stromsburg while coming home from an evangelistic meeting in York. Five of her six children were in the car with her. It was late at night, and she had a blowout and hit a tree while traveling about 30 miles an hour. No one in the car was wearing a seat belt. After the accident, everyone in the car was taken to the hospital with various injuries. Thankfully everyone survived. Halleluyah!

Marcella believed in hard work, for both herself and her children. In 1959, Louie and Marcella purchased some dairy cows, to keep their sons busy. Marcella, David and Danny would milk the cows twice daily at 6 am and 5 pm. They used a hand separator to separate the cream from the milk, so she could deliver cream to various customers in Stromsburg. Marcella also served fresh cow's milk to a large number of stray cats on the property, and they loved it. (Marcella was a true cat lover during her entire life.)

Marcella had a green thumb and grew many beautiful indoor and outdoor plants. She planted a one-acre garden on the property every year, growing corn, green beans, potatoes, peas, rhubarb, and tomatoes. She drafted her children to help with hoeing, weeding, watering, digging potatoes, shelling peas, picking and husking corn, and picking beans, among other duties. Marcella's tomatoes were so delicious, that they were in demand at several area restaurants. She would drive to nearby towns to deliver these scrumptious tomatoes to regular customers. Marcella would also give away garden produce to certain needy people in the community, especially elderly widows.

For a one-year period in 1964/1965, Marcella started a bakeshop in her own home, which she named the "Swede Capital Bakeshop." (Stromsburg is known as the "Swede Capital of Nebraska.") She baked many kinds of pastries, pies, cupcakes, and homemade bread. Some of the breads were special Swedish recipes such as Swedish limpa bread with caraway seeds (Yum!). She would rise at 3 am every day to bake her delicious goodies and deliver them to the local bowling alley and certain women's groups in town. She quit the bakery after a year, however, as she could not make a profit and was gaining weight eating all the unsold pastries. Besides, Marcella really wanted to go back to healthy cooking and baking, and omit refined foods from the family dinner table.

In addition to her baking talents, Marcella had a gift for making a wonderful home-cooked meal. A special childhood memory is that of Friday night suppers in Stromsburg. She would serve navy beans, boiled potatoes and homemade bread to welcome the Sabbath. Marcella's delicious, homemade bread was awesome and famous, even among some of the family's neighbors who would request a loaf! In later years, her "company-coming casserole" became a renowned Sabbath dinner favorite especially to her invited guests. Marcella definitely had the gift of hospitality!

Marcella reached out with compassionate love to many needy people over the years. While living in Stromsburg, she would often clean house for elderly widows or needy people for free. Marcella truly had a missionary spirit, as she was always seeking for those whom she could help.

Marcella was totally unselfish. While doing her husband's laundry, she would check for spare change in his pants pockets. Whenever she would find money there, she would donate all of it to the church offering plate. Marcella could have spent the money on herself, but she wanted the God she loved to have it.

In May of 1966, the Harrom family moved to Lincoln, Nebraska, so that all six children could attend local SDA church schools without the expense of staying in dormitories. Thus the family could all live together. Louie and Marcella made tremendous sacrifices over the years, so that their children could obtain a Christian education. All six of them eventually obtained a college degree, and two of the children obtained an MD degree as well.

In Lincoln, Marcella immediately obtained a job as a bookkeeper at the Nebraska State Penitentiary Accounts Payable Department. This was her first paying job outside of the home since her marriage. She was a very careful worker and a perfectionist, and it was her job to make sure the books balanced to the penny every day, which they always did!

Marcella and Louie joined the Piedmont Park SDA Church as soon as they arrived in Lincoln. They were drawn to the warmth and friendliness of the congregation. Marcella served as the Cradle Roll leader there for many years, ministering to children from birth to age 3. She also served as a pianist and a member of the church choir.

In 1967, Marcella began working at the Christian Record Braille Foundation (now Christian Record Services for the Blind), first as secretary to the editor and then as a secretary to the library director. She could "type like the wind," typing about 100 words per minute with a high degree of accuracy. Within a few years of working as library secretary, Marcella was promoted to the position of library director.

Marcella immediately rose to the challenge as the Christian Record Library Director. She soon became a certified braillist and learned to read braille by sight. The library flourished under her careful leadership, as Marcella was very organized, conscientious, diligent and efficient.

During this time, she continued to reach out in love and generosity to many blind people in personal ministry. She once gave some of her favorite clothes away to a needy, blind friend in Lincoln. She also paid to have a religious satellite dish sent to one of her blind friends, so that the woman could have access to uplifting programming anytime. This friend was extremely grateful and extolled Marcella for providing her with this valuable "lifeline," as she termed it.

In April of 1980, Marcella and Louie left their new home in Lincoln and moved to Loma Linda, California, so that Charleen could live with them while attending medical school there. They always put their children first. Marcella continued to work for Christian Record, but now in the capacity of a District Representative.

In October of 1980, Marcella providentially found a job at Loma Linda University School of Health. There she served as secretary to Dr. Jan Kuzma, Chairman of the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology. She was a hardworking and faithful employee there until May of 1986, when she and Louie moved to Redding, California, so she could work for her son-in-law, Dr. Richard Gerlic, in his dermatology practice. From 1986 to 2004, she worked as a secretary for Richard and Charleen. Marcella accepted any new challenge with enthusiasm.

While in Redding, Marcella remained active in her local church until her later years, when she became infirmed. She was one of the first women in her church to be ordained as a church elder. She also served the church as a pianist, treasurer, secretary for the Channel 33 board (local Christian TV station), and Adventist Community Services (ACS) director. In this latter capacity, Marcella headed a clothing ministry at the local Community Services Center in Redding, in which hundreds of articles of clothing were distributed to needy people. She would often give money out of her own pocket to poor or homeless people. The statement "she was generous to a fault" described her to a tee.

On May 12, 2001, Marcella received a "2001 Woman of Distinction Award" from the Women's Ministries Department and the Northern California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. During the Sabbath morning church service at the Redding Seventh-day Adventist Church, she was presented with a special award certificate and a purple ribbon, for the hundreds of hours she had spent in tireless devotion serving her community and her church.

In July of 1993, Marcella attended Loma Linda University for a short training course to sharpen her skills at conducting vegetarian cooking schools. She had already been conducting and directing cooking schools at the local Adventist Community Services Center in Redding since 1990. She was eager to learn new teaching techniques and new, nutritious recipes. Marcella's specialty was demonstrating how to make delicious vegetarian food and healthy desserts. She truly had a gift for making healthful, tasty and eye-appealing vegetarian recipes. Healthful living and proper diet had been a passion of hers, since becoming a Seventh-day Adventist.

Marcella always enjoyed trying new recipes. In the 1990's, she helped her daughter Barbara Zumwalt cook delicious recipes for the annual Paradise Post Newspaper cooking contests. She was thrilled to see Barb win many prizes and get her recipes published in the Paradise, California, newspaper. Marcella was always willing to "be there" for her children by lending a helping hand whenever it was needed.

When Louie broke his hip in July of 2004, Marcella had to quit working at Dr. Gerlic's office, in order to care for her husband. As his dementia grew worse, she weathered the storms of life patiently, and saw him through many trials. In 2008, Louie was hospitalized with pneumonia and required placement of a PEG tube for feeding. During the last five months of his life, he required constant care at home.

Prior to his illness, Marcella had enjoyed doing yard work and growing many beautiful flowers. She personally built a large, raised rock-flower garden in her front yard, which involved pick-axing for rocks in the ground and then placing them into perfect, artistic position. During Louie's final days, Marcella had to dispense with her cherished yard work due to increased caregiving responsibilities.

Louie's death in February of 2009 was particularly hard on her. After he died on his 94th birthday, Marcella touchingly extolled Louie at his funeral "for always being patient, pleasant, and positive." She truly missed her beloved husband, but continued to look forward in faith to the blessed hope of the resurrection.

Four years later, in February of 2013, Marcella was hospitalized with pneumonia. Her doctor son David came to see her in March and was instrumental in saving her life. Subsequently, she was on a ventilator for 17 days, and underwent placement of a PEG tube. Her children fought valiantly for her, and the Almighty heard their prayers, as she miraculously survived the three-month hospital stay. Their beloved mother was finally able to come home on May 6, 2013.

From then on, Marcella could not be left alone. She needed 24/7 oversight, as she needed assistance walking, among other things. We want to gratefully acknowledge her daughters Charleen, Cheryl and Brenda for their valuable, supportive help with Marcella's in-home care, as well as her granddaughter Tiffany.

During these months of affliction, Marcella was cheerful, patient, uncomplaining and "of good courage." She maintained a sweet spirit, and never gave up her faith in a Savior who loved her and gave Himself for her. She deeply appreciated having Bible verses read to her, and she would enthusiastically repeat the verses on healing out loud. She also loved it when Cheryl or Charleen would play hymns for her on the piano. She would joyfully "lead the choir" with her hands, while the music was playing. Some of her favorite songs included: Under His Wings, Beyond the Sunset, Great is Thy Faithfulness, and The Love of God.

On October 9, 2015, Marcella enjoyed having all four of her daughters with her to celebrate her 89th birthday. She heard from all of her children and many family members, and received beautiful flowers from children, grandchildren and friends. She was thrilled with all the flowers and kept staring at them with admiration. For the next few days, she basked in the joyous afterglow of a wonderful birthday.

One week after her birthday, on October 16, 2015, she had to be taken to the hospital (SRMC) with a right-sided stroke and pneumonia. The following day, on Sabbath, October 17, five of her children (with three spouses) gathered at her bedside for special prayer. On October 22, she was transferred to Vibra Hospital for rehabilitation. She made little improvement there, and was barely arousable most of the time. On Sunday, November 1, 2015, Charleen and Richard visited Marcella to pray over her. They told her that God "loves you and so do we." She weakly nodded and opened her eyes briefly to look at them one last time. A few hours later at 4:55 pm, she passed away.

Marcella was a great woman with many accomplishments, yet she exhibited extreme meekness and humility in life. She was hardworking, diligent and faithful. She had a kind, tender heart towards those who were "down and out," and had a generous and forgiving spirit. Instead of inviting popular people over for dinner, she would invite the disadvantaged---those who were figuratively "the lame, the halt and the blind." She truly loved her neighbor as herself, and possessed a strength of character that was unsurpassed.

Marcella had a very strong faith, and over the years, she would persevere unceasingly in prayer for others. As a child, her daughter Charleen would often see her mother weeping as she knelt at her bedside interceding for a lost soul. Over the years, the family could always count on their mother to be a faithful "prayer warrior" for all of their prayer requests.

Marcella would often have miraculous answers to her prayers. Here is a story as told by her son David: "This story occurred in Stromsburg, when I was still wearing glasses in the 6th grade. Danny and I were playing in the pasture. When we came back into the house, I suddenly realized that I had lost my glasses. I told Mom about it and considered it a lost cause, as our property was ten acres. At that time, the cost of a pair of glasses was expensive and a big deal. When Mom heard about this, she was immediately confident that they would be found if she prayed about it. She had a prayer with everyone. At the end of her prayer, she arose and everyone went out to the pasture with her to look for my glasses. I, being a doubting Thomas, was so skeptical that I did not even go out to look with the rest of the family. Imagine my surprise when a short time later, Mom came in carrying my glasses. I must say that the incident increased my faith. This was a great example of the kind of faith that Mom had and how she lived her religion."

At Marcella's funeral, Charleen stated in her eulogy, "Mom was the most righteous woman I have ever known, and I am honored to have had such a wonderful mother." Here is a statement from David, regarding his mother, "Mom was a great mother and a truly amazing woman. She will be responsible for many stars in her crown, especially her children, husband, and grandchildren. I certainly have a lot of happy memories of her and our family as we grew up. God used her in so many ways." Continuing with Charleen's words...."Yes, Mom was a truly wonderful woman. There was no one like her. In fact, she was the GREATEST WOMAN I have ever known."

Marcella was preceded in death by her husband Louie Harrom, her father Frank Hirsh, her mother Rose Hirsh, her brother Marvin Hirsh (and his wife Charlotte), her brother Clarence Hirsh, her sister Darlene Gartin, her son-in-law Lowell Ingold, and her grandson Trenton Neva.

She is survived by her brother Donald Hirsh (and his wife Arlene), her daughter Cheryl Ingold, son David Harrom (wife Jan), son Danny Harrom (wife Verna), daughter Brenda Harrom, daughter Barbara Zumwalt (husband Richard), daughter Charleen Gerlic (husband Richard), and many nieces and nephews. In addition to her 6 children, Marcella also had 14 grandchildren (one deceased), 23 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great-granddaughter, for a total of 44 descendants.

Marcella's family funeral occurred on Sabbath, November 7, at 1 pm at McDonald's Chapel in Redding, California. Marcella is buried at the Redding Cemetery next to her beloved husband Louie and precious son-in-law Lowell. They await the call of the Life-Giver.