Mrs. Marvelyn Irene Scraper

On February 24, 2026, our beloved mother Marvelyn Irene Stanley Scraper passed away at approximately 7:30am ET of heart failure in Kingwood, Texas. Just last month we celebrated her 100th birthday with family and friends. Her goal was to live to be 100 and she met that goal.

Born on January 13, 1926 in Sault Saint Marie, Michigan to Rome and Matilda Stanley. She was the second oldest of six children. Her father was in the US Army and they lived in multiple places while growing up. Her mom, Matilda Kivela emigrated from Finland as a teenager.

Marvelyn graduated from Brackenridge High School in San Antonio, Texas. She met her first husband Bill Harris in San Antonio. They were married from 1945 to 1952 and had two children, Robert S. and Jo Nell I.

She met James Kelly Scraper, who was enlisted in the US Air Force stationed at Lackland AFB. Their first date was at Casa Rio on the River Walk in San Antonio. They married in June, 1952 before he was sent to Korea where he served during the Korean War and returned home in 1953. The family expanded with three children – Stephen, Donald and Katherine. Robert and Jo Nell were adopted by James and over the years the family lived in Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Alaska, Oklahoma, Alaska again, Nebraska, South Carolina and Florida.

Being a military wife was difficult. While raising the kids, she worked full time in Civil Service and supported her husband as he worked and was promoted to Chief Master Sargent, the highest NCO rank and went to night school for nine years to earn a college degree. They had split shifts where she worked the night shift and he worked the day shift so that there was always a parent at home.

Settling in Columbia, South Carolina where they lived from 1971 – 1990 she worked at the VA Hospital while Jim taught math and coached at Lower Richland High School. They retired in 1990 and moved to South Florida where her love for the card game Bridge was a weekly activity. She loved to travel and take cruises. She would walk a couple miles per day until she was in her early 90s and still drove her car until she was about 95.

Her husband Jim passed away in 2009 which left a void in her life. She lived in South Florida for a few more years and then moved to Keller, Texas where she lived with her granddaughter Bobbi Sullivan for a few years. Her son Bob and his wife asked her to live with them in Kingwood, Texas where she lived for 7 years. The last couple years she lived in Kingwood Memory Care. She is survived by her children – Bob (Carol), Steve (Janet), Don (Debbie) and Kathy. She is predeceased by her daughter Jo Nell. Plus a legacy of 12 grandchildren and 19 great grandchildren. She has one sister, Jo Stanley Sargent living in Phoenix, Arizona.

Mom was a wonderful, caring woman. Her daughter in law Debbie says “she was the best mother-in-law that anyone could have.” She is now with God and with Dad.