Margery Ann Foote

Margery Ann Foote (nee Washburn) was born in Decatur, Illinois on January 8, 1929 to Fritz L and Marion C Washburn. She attended Montreat College in Montreat, North Carolina, graduating with a B.A. in English in 1950. After returning for a brief time to Decatur, she began taking jobs in other parts of the country.

In 1954 while working at an oil company and attending a Presbyterian Young Adult group, she met Edward J. Foote, an Air Force enlisted man. Sergeant Foote proved to be the love of Marge’s life and they were married on February 2nd, 1955.

Here began what she thought of as the second act of her life. Together they traveled to his assignments while having children in 1956 (a boy, William) and 1957 (a girl, Nancy). In 1962 he was stationed to Germany and she spent two years there learning about the country.

They returned to the States and in 1965 had another child (a girl, Meghan). In 1976 Ed retired from the Air Force and said to Marge, “I’ve done my 30 years, now it’s your turn.” The family moved to Greeley, Colorado and Marge went back to working full-time.

For the next 30 years she worked as a secretary for the architecture/engineering firm NHPQ (later Arix), moving from there she worked for the City of Greeley in the Urban Renewal Agency.

During those years she got to do some more of the travelling she enjoyed, visiting England and later the Philippines, although her dream of visiting New Zealand remained out of reach.

Ed died in 1984 and Marge began the third and final act of her life which brought with it a new player on the stage: her beloved granddaughter, Jessica.

Things slowed down for Marge as she settled into widowhood. But she still had much to do, volunteering for her local church, Family of Christ Presbyterian and for the national denomination, The Presbyterian Church in the USA.

She cooked for her family and crafted gifts for many. And she baked. Carrying on a tradition that started with Ed’s unit in Germany, she made Christmas cookies, quick breads, and sparkling royal icing villages. Every year she made Christmas treats for everybody at work, first at Ed’s and then at her own jobs. Some years as many as 150-200 dozen cookies. Later she didn’t make as many, but her kids helped keep up the tradition.

An avid theatre fan, she, along with Nancy, held season tickets to the Denver Center Theatre Company for several years. They also attended many Broadway shows as they toured through Denver.

As the late 2010’s passed she became less and less mobile, spending more time sitting in her big chair, reading on her Kindle and watching game shows and old movies on TV.

In one of her last conversations, she asked if she had done all right. If she had led a good life. Her daughter Meghan assured her she had.

She is survived by son William and his wife Nettie, daughter Nancy and her husband Cleve, daughter Meghan and her partner Jules, and granddaughter Jessica and her husband Jack.

A funeral service for Margery will be held Wednesday, September 13, 2023 at 1:00 PM at Family of Christ Presbyterian Church, 2410 35th Ave, Greeley, CO 80634, followed by a reception following service at 2:00 PM. Private inurnment to take place at Fort Logan National Cemetery on Wednesday, September 20th, 2023.