Marcia Richards Clayton

Marcia Elaine Clayton was born on September 30th 1939 and is proceeded in death by her parents, George Francis Richards (Marion Richards), Evelyn Mae Howell and her husband of 63 years, James Edward Clayton Sr.

She is survived by her children, James Edward Clayton Jr., Jody J Clayton (Shirl), Jamie Evelyn Clayton, three grandsons, John Andrew Clayton (Christy, Levi, and Lucas), Jordan Evan Clayton (Michelle, Henry) and Jonah Richards Clayton-Lomax in addition to two sisters, Thelma Richards Saxe (Fred)and Rebecca Lee Arnott (Kim). She was a beloved Aunt to 20 nieces and nephews and 49 great nieces and nephews.

Marcia was born in Franklin, New Jersey and grew up in the borough of Ogdensburg where her roots run deep. She always described a very charmed childhood growing up in the “burg” and on Main Street. Both her maternal grandparents (William Strader Howell & Almeda Bell Van Horn) and paternal grandparents (Thomas Johnson Richards and Vena Belle Current) were dairy farmers. She recalled vivid memories of both their farms and the richness of the landscape. Being from such a small town where every resident mattered, her grandfather (Williams S. Howell was not just a “farmer” but also served for nine years as an Assessor of Hampton and later as the Democratic Freeholder where he earned the nickname “Honest Bill”. Her father, not to be outdone by his father-in-law held several titles in his years growing up and living in Ogdensburg as Mayor, Borough Councilman in Ogdensburg, and Fire Chief but, Marcia’s favorite was the Shell gas station he owned which sat across the street from her girlhood home. She did not hesitate to recall that her dad could have “given” her any car off his lot but, made her earn one! Her mother also worked outside the home but will forever be remembered as a gifted poet, artist and gypsy (she loved to travel).

Marcia’s youth was steeped in tradition and she spent summers, as did her ancestors visiting the shores of Cape May NJ. Her father was a hunter and in keeping with tradition, he did not hesitate to take her to the woods and teach her to hunt. Her mother rarely failed to share that she didn’t get to go on a honeymoon, “….but, George bought a new gun”. On Marcia’s 12th birthday, she received her first gun, (a JC Higgins pump action 12 gage shotgun) and was excited to go hunting with her dad. It was here that she crossed paths with a 12 year old Jimmy Clayton who was out hunting with his brothers. And, as if a movie script was written for this very scene, this young red haired girl thought him a “squirt” and her dad warned her that he and his brothers were “outlaws”. Little did she know that fate had a different story to tell and that little “squirt” would win her heart AND that of her mom AND dad!

Jimmy’s family was not a “church going” family but, he (and, his mother) followed Marcia there. At the age of 16, he saw his future in her and accepted Jesus into his heart and was baptized at First Presbyterian Church in Ogdensburg, NJ. Five years later, their youth pastor would marry them.

Marcia graduated Franklin High School in 1957. Her HS years were filled with cheerleading, club meetings, babysitting and dances! It will come as no surprise to those who knew her and her devotion to her sweetheart, that had she not written her “Jimmy’s” Senior Year term paper, he would not have graduated High School! While still in High School, Jimmy enrolled in the US Army and entered boot camp the summer after graduation but, not before becoming engaged to his red-haired “Marsh” as he called her.

Post boot camp he was based in Germany for two years where he and Marcia wrote each other every day. In her letters to him, she wrote of visiting his mother every day (who had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma). So filled were her letters with her daily visits that she kept him connected to a mother he loved dearly and could not be with. Once he completed his tour, he returned home where he and Marcia were married on Aug 1st 1959.

Together, they followed Jimmy’s oldest brother south and these two Yankees found themselves living in Memphis, TN.

They settled in Parkway Village and found a church home in St. James United Methodist Church where they raised their family. Following her grandparents and parents lead, volunteering her time was a joy. Those years were filled with United Methodist Women, playing women’s softball, singing in the choir, playing the piano, being a MYF counselor, Appalachian Service Projects, Boy Scout Den Mother (troop 247), the list continues ~

The friendships rooted in those early years resulted in some of the funniest memories, numerous camping trips, vacations, celebrations, holidays, sleepovers and rooting on the Memphis State Tigers! Marcia’s friends never left her side as she rallied by her husband of 63 years and helped him face an unexpected advanced cancer diagnosis.

Marcia always dreamed of being a nurse and as her children grew, she found herself enrolled in the Sea Isle Vocational LPN nursing program. Once she received her LPN, she quickly was encouraged and entered into the RN nursing program at Memphis State University, graduating the same year her oldest son graduated high school (1980). She LOVED being a nurse. She retired in 2003 from Methodist University Hospital (Central) as the Nurse Manager on 7 Thomas (neuro). It was never unusual for her to find herself (or Jimmy) in the hospital for care and be a patient of a nurse she had been a preceptor to. These events were always filled with high praise regarding all that they had learned from her but mostly, how incredibly patient and encouraging she was with them when they were a student on her floor.

Jim & Marcia retired to the Little Red River in Heber Springs, AR where she volunteered with Habitat for Humanity on house builds & delivered Meals on Wheels for 12 years. She was a member of Heber Springs United Methodist Church where she played the organ on Sunday mornings and enjoyed being a part of a prayer shawl ministries for over 22 years (in her Parkin, AR church as well as Heber and Collierville). She loved her retirement years and enjoyed keeping her yard landscaped with an abundance of flowers and getting out on Greer’s Ferry Lake to enjoy the sunshine. She never lost her call to nursing and quickly dusted off her expired license, had it reinstated and volunteered as an RN at the Christian Health Center for ten years. She & Jimmy returned to the Memphis area as their health demanded and they did not hesitate to reunite with their original church home, Crossroads UMC (formerly St. James UMC and now Peace Tree UMC) where she began to volunteer in the office.

She loved entertaining her family in her home and vacationing in Destin with her entire and extended family. Time with her always brought about unexpected laughter when playing games: Scrabble (laying down questionable words and trying to reinvent the rules on word placement), The Game of Things (giving too honest of an answer) and Liverpool Gin Rummy while overlooking the Little Red River. She was constantly thinking of her children, grandchildren, their wives and her great-grandchildren. Everything she did was with them in mind. She was a steadfast prayer warrior and had just an incredible love language. She often baked loaves of banana nut bread and molasses cookies for her grandchildren and knitted dishcloths that she always had in her purse to hand out.

She rarely took center stage to such a dynamic spouse but, we all knew – she was his and our family’s anchor. Her absence from us will be felt for a very long time. It came as no surprise to us who knew her best that she chased her “Jimmy” straight to the heavens and we are comforted in knowing that she and he are with their heavenly father – reunited and healed for eternity.

A celebration of Life will be held on Wednesday, April 13, 2022 at 5:00 pm with visitation beginning at 4:00 pm at Peace Tree UMC, 9315 E Shelby Dr. Collierville, TN 38017. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.brantleyfuneral.com for the Clayton family.