Marlene was 85 years old. Today, October 28, 2020, we celebrate Marlene on what would have been her 86th birthday.
Marlene was born at home on October 28, 1934, to Axel and Sigrid (Carlson) Johnson in Kansas City, Missouri. She was the 4th of 5 children, 4 girls and a boy. She graduated from Northeast High School in 1952 and went on to study at Central Missouri State College (now the University of Central Missouri) in Warrensburg, Missouri. She graduated in 1956 with a degree in Business Administration/Accounting with aspirations of being a CPA. This was a much different time and opportunities as a CPA were not available. She worked for Montgomery Ward for 28 years running their catalog distribution center at St. John and Belmont. When they stopped making catalogs, she went to work for United Missouri Bank as a trust accountant, where she worked for 15 years before retiring in 1999.
On May 5, 1957 Marlene married Phillip W. Logan at Children’s Memorial Lutheran Church in Kansas City, Missouri. Marlene and Phil were married for 45 years. They met bowling and continued to bowl throughout their marriage, sometimes bowling 5-6 leagues a week. They had 4 girls and taught them all to bowl. They were very involved in their church, where Marlene served as church secretary/treasurer for many, many years. Marlene and Phil were huge sports fans, especially for their hometown KC Royals and KC Chiefs. They took their girls to lots of games and so loved the Chiefs that they were season ticket holders for over 35 years. They were even featured on the cover of the Chiefs Gameday magazine, sitting in the endzone all bundled up, as some of the few fans in attendance during the lean times for the team.
Marlene loved elephants and collected them from all over the world, amassing a collection in the hundreds. She loved playing games, especially card games like bridge, hand and foot and gin rummy. She was a member of 2 bridge clubs and continued to play after she moved to Wexford Place apartments in 2017. She loved John Wayne movies, politics, musicals, and music. Frank Sinatra, Barbra Steisand, Shirley Bassey, and Michael Bublé were some of her favorite musical artists. She was almost always happy and easy to please, but a stickler for proper grammar. She loved to introduce new words to her family and challenge them to use them properly. She loved to laugh and make other people laugh, even at her own expense. Brightening someone’s day with a smile or laugh was a goal for her every day.
Marlene loved her family and friends, and all the gatherings and holidays when everyone was together. Marlene was blessed with 9 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren. She so loved being a Grandma, Mi M,i and Double G.
Marlene was preceded in death by her parents, Axel L. Johnson and Sigrid G. Johnson (Carlson), husband Phillip W. Logan, siblings Dolores Johnson, Donald Johnson, Marjorie Johnson, brother-in-law George Maxwell, granddaughter Jordan Logan, and daughter Lisa Logan.
Marlene is survived by daughters Kristine Fugate, Julie McCook and husband Dan, and Cynthia Pittman. Grandchildren Traci Ford (Fugate) and husband Layne, Scott Fugate and wife Anna, Kellie Jennens (Snowden) and husband Chris, Erik Snowden, Joshua Logan and wife Jill, Jeremy Tompkins, Logan Baker, and Dakota Baker. Great grandchildren Damien Ford, Carson Ford, Ryder Fugate, Marlie Fugate, Mia Jennens, Emily Jennens, Brynn Snowden, Aria Logan, Linley Logan, Nolan Tompkins, and Brynleigh Ross.
