Marjorie O. Smith

Marjorie Smith, 94, passed away peacefully in her Fort Collins home December 22, 2014.

She was born Marjorie Opal Wykert on February 2, 1920 to Samuel Harnet (February 14, 1878 – September 27, 1961) and Susanna (Susie) Hutchison Goss (August 17, 1882 – November 8, 1969) Wykert in Oakville, Iowa. She was the youngest of six children. She continued to be very close to each of her brothers and sisters - Ethyl Elizabeth (July 25, 1902 – December 14, 1996), John William (February 14, 1905 – July 27, 1974), Pearl Irene (November 3, 1907 – December 27, 1969), Ernest Chester (February 5, 1913 – June 24, 1988), and Howard Francis (July 15, 1915 – January 12, 1982).

Marjorie’s mother was born in Sea Harbor England, County of Durham. Her mother died when she was four years old at the birth of her fifth child. She came to America by steamship with her father (John Goss) who could neither read or write, sister (Jenny) and two brothers (Bill and Rich). They came to Streator, Illinois to where her father’s brother and wife (Charles and Maggie) lived. Her father married Maggie’s sister (Ellen) and they took the children and traveled west by covered wagon to Rock Springs, Wyoming. Ellen contracted tuberculosis and died. They went back to Iowa when Susie was 12 years old, and her father married Hanna Wainwright. They made another trip west and later settled in Nebraska. She received a fifth grade education while in Nebraska. Susie ran away from home and stayed and worked for people around Villisca and Red Oak, Iowa. She never told her own children that she begged at hotel back doors while in route. One of the families she worked for was the Wykert’s who lived in Louisa Center – Columbus Junction, Iowa. She met Sam while caring for his ill mother, and they married on December 25, 1901 when she was 19 years old. They lived in Bard, Iowa. In 1910 they moved 5 miles east of Oakville near the Mississippi River as farmers. They were married for 59 years.

Marjorie grew up on this farm. She completed 8th grade in 1932 at Louisa County Public School in Oakville and graduated from Columbus High School in Columbus Junction, Iowa in 1936 at the age of 16. She then attended Iowa State Teachers College in Cedar Falls, Iowa where she obtained her teaching certificate after two years. She taught grades one through eight at Prairie Point School House, a one-room country school, near the family farm for three years from 1938 to 1940. Her salary was $280.00 per month. She often drove around the area to pick up and bring the children to school, especially throughout the cold winter months.

Marjorie married De Los Russell Smith on May 31, 1941 at the Methodist parsonage in Portageville, Missouri. Her sister Ethyl and husband Harve who lived in this town served as their attendants. Marjorie wore a powder blue crepe suit with beige accessories. They took a short honeymoon through Missouri, Tennessee and Kentucky.

De Los was born June 6, 1915 and raised on a farm not far from Oakville near Toolesboro, Iowa. This farm earned the “Century Farm” designation in 1986 for being family owned for 100 years. He was the son of David Howard (December 21, 1893 – November 24, 1963) and Lillian Bernice Russell (August 22, 1893 – October 5, 1965) Smith and the oldest of four children – Jean Smith (June 7, 1923), Fay Smith (February 21, 1926 – June 25, 1927) and Joan Smith (October 1, 1930). De Los graduated from Oakville High School in 1932, attended Iowa Wesleyan College in Mt Pleasant, Iowa for two years and then assisted his father in farming. From 1940 - 1942, along with Marjorie’s brother Howard, De Los owned and operated a Phillips 66 service (gas) station across the street from the home they purchased in Oakville. In those days, it truly was a full service automobile station, not just a place to buy gas!

After only a year and a half of marriage, De Los enlisted in the United States Navy on November 10, 1942 and served during World War II. After boot camp training at Great Lakes, Illinois, he was sent to the Naval Training Station to aviation machinist’s school at Ford’s River Rouge plant, Dearborn, Michigan. He spent 18 months at the naval air station in Ottumwa, Iowa where Marjorie joined him. He was next placed in charge of a group of men going to Hedron 14-1 North Island, California near San Diego. Marjorie took the train to visit him in November of 1944 while he was stationed there. In March 1945, he left Camp Elliott, California on an aircraft carrier for Eni Witoc in the Marshall Islands, then on to Guam where he remained a month before being sent to Tamapag Harbor in Saipan. During his service there he saw this base changed from a war-torn island into the largest permanent air base in the Mariana Islands and had taken may plane trips over the entire group of islands. Due to the fact that on this base there are seldom any heavy winds or storms, many planes were sent there for safety while there were storms in other areas. Also it was from this base that the planes took off to bomb Japan. De Los left on an LST boat November 11, 1945, on the 5400 mile journey to San Francisco. They made a stop at Monalua Ridge camp on the island of Oahu and visited the city of Honolulu. After serving 3 years, 1 month and 11 days as Aviation Machinist’s Mate First Class, he returned home to Marjorie on December 21, 1945 after receiving an honorable discharge from service at Minneapolis, Minnesota the preceding day.

While De Los was serving our country, Marjorie lived and worked in Burlington, Iowa as an inspector at the Burlington Instrument Company that assembled radios. After his return, they made their home once again in Oakville. They had paid $500.00 for their first house in 1941, and De Los totally remodeled it for them after his return from the service.

Their only child, Margaret Sue, was born September 13, 1951. De Los was trained as a carpenter and did his apprenticeship in Burlington, Iowa (20 miles south of

Oakville). When Margaret was four, they moved to Phoenix, Arizona for a few months because jobs were said to be plentiful in Arizona. They found they missed Iowa and

thought it would be best for Margaret to start kindergarten in Burlington. Even though they lived in several different homes over the years, Burlington was home to them for over 43 years.

De Los was a member of the local carpenters union and worked on many commercial projects in the area. He was also an accomplished finish carpenter and helped to build many custom homes in Burlington. He crafted many pieces over the years including the gate-leg table (from the walnut salvaged from the original Louisa County Courthouse that was torn down) located at the entry. While Margaret was growing up, Marjorie did substitute teaching in the Burlington Community School District elementary schools. She was always there for her family first and foremost. Margaret graduated from Burlington High School in 1969 and while she attended Southeastern Iowa Community College in Burlington the following year, Marjorie started to work a few hours a day at Sunnyside Elementary School (the same school Margaret went to for six years) as a teacher’s aide. After Margaret left home for college at Western Illinois University in Macomb, Illinois, Marjorie went back to work full time at Sunnyside as a teacher’s aide and office assistant. She worked there for 22 years until her retirement in 1992 at the age of 72.

After Margaret graduated from Western Illinois University with a degree in Elementary Education in 1972 and then a Master’s Degree in College Student Personnel Services in 1973, Marjorie and De Los helped her move to Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois (70 miles north of Burlington) to start an internship as Head Resident of Andreen Hall for one year. During the summer of 1974, Margaret accepted the position of Program Advisor at the K-State Union, Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas. Again, they assisted her in making this move. Over the next seven years, they made many trips to Manhattan to visit. They enjoyed attending the many programs promoted by the Union Program Council.

In 1975 Margaret was promoted to Program Director at the K-State Union and was responsible for hiring a new Program Advisor. She hired Robert (Rob) J. Cieslicki for the position. They worked together for five years, fell in love and married on June 14, 1980 in Burlington. Rob grew up in Elmwood Park (Chicago suburb), Illinois. His parents Joseph Walter (March 15, 1916 – May 18, 2005) and Lillian (September 29, 1916 – March 21, 2007) were the children of Polish immigrants. They operated Ambers Camera Company in Chicago for more than 60 years. Lillian moved to Fort Collins after Joe passed away in March of 2005 and lived close to Rob and Margaret until she passed in March of 2007.

In January of 1981, Rob and Margaret purchased a travel agency (International Tours of Fort Collins) in Fort Collins, Colorado. They later sold the agency and formed

Sunchase Tours Inc. offering winter and spring break trips for college students. After 24 years, they closed the business in 2005. Marjorie and De Los visited Colorado many

times and thoroughly enjoyed the area especially trips to the mountains. In 1988 Rob and Margaret purchased a home in Orlando, Florida where they lived during the off-season (April – July) while they owned and operated Sunchase and continue to spend several months a year. Both of their parents made annual visits to Florida for many years.

On October 31, 1999, Marjorie and De Los moved to Fort Collins to be close to Rob and Margaret. De Los was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. She was devoted to his care until he passed away January 25, 2001.They were together every day and enjoyed over 59 years of marriage.

Marjorie continued to live independently in her patio home and travel to visit Rob and Margaret in Orlando as well as to Las Vegas after they purchased a home there in 2005. After 2010, she continued to enjoy traveling but went with Rob and Margaret as opposed to flying alone.

On August 26, 2013, Marjorie suffered a stroke which affected her short-term memory, but she continued to enjoy visits from friends and family as well as maintained her sunny disposition until the very end. All who knew her will always remember her positive outlook on life and her infectious smile.

Marjorie was always a very caring, optimistic and highly motivated person. Both Marjorie and De Los provided Margaret with a wonderful life while growing up in a warm, loving and stable home. They provided her with every opportunity to succeed in life. And when she married Rob, they welcomed him with open arms and were consistently supportive. No one could ever ask for more dedicated parents who set an example of how life should be lived every day of their life.

Our heartfelt thanks go to the loving, caring and compassionate caregivers from Vitality Home Healthcare and Gentiva Hospice who were so completely devoted to her. They were truly our “angels” watching over her. The physician services of Rocky Mountain Senior Care provided excellent care through regular home visits. The constant support of family, friends, and neighbors meant so much to us. It was a real blessing having all these wonderful people surrounding us through this journey. We couldn’t have done it without all of you, and your kindness will never be forgotten.

We will miss her more than words can express, and we invite you to join us to celebrate her long and wonderful life on Saturday, December 27 between 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. at Allnutt Drake Road Chapel. A visitation will be held on Thursday, January 1, 2015 at the Dudgeon Mculley Funeral Home from 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. A funeral service will be held on Friday, January 2, 2014 at 10:30 a.m. at the Dudgeon Mculley Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, those wishing to make memorial gifts are encouraged to contribute to Gentiva Foundation Patient Care in care of Allnutt.

With Sincere Thanks and Love,

Margaret and Rob