Marjorie F. Spoelstra

Marge was born May 25, 1923. She grew up in Milwaukie, where she graduated from Milwaukie High School. She was a member of the high school band and from seventh through twelfth grade played in Starr’s Marching Band, a private band that traveled throughout the Northwest on their own band bus. She studied piano from an early age and was an exceptional pianist and accompanist for many vocal groups and musical productions. She learned to play organ when Milwaukie Presbyterian Church installed its organ, and also played sousaphone, baritone horn and glockenspiel.

During World War II, Marge trained as a stenographer and was employed at Portland Air Base. She met Harold Spoelstra on a blind date and they were married on Easter Sunday, 1944. They had four children: daughters Maggie, Carolyn, and Elizabeth, and son Jan. Harold passed away on April 6, 2012, three days before their 68th wedding anniversary.

Marge played piano for several local community vocal groups during the 1950s, 60s and 70s including Forest Grove Gleemen, Crescendo Club, and Multnomah Athletic Club Mello-Macs and Mello Tones. Marge, Harold and daughters were members of Bruce Kelly’s New Oregon Singers in the 1970’s and 80’s, performing locally many times a year, recording two albums, and taking their music all over the world, visiting 39 countries and performing for U.S. troops and royalty overseas. Marge and Harold always said they’d rather travel than eat. And so they did, visiting over 30 more countries in their later years.

After Harold’s retirement the couple spent several years in Montana, where Marge was an administrative assistant for a CPA firm. After returning to Portland, Marge was music director for over 50 musical theater productions including Lakewood Theater Company, Portland Civic Theater, Studio Lyric Theater, PCC Theater and productions at LaSalle, West Linn, Lake Oswego and Lakeridge high schools from 1984 to 2005.

Marge was a member of Mt. Tabor, St. Andrew’s, and Milwaukie Presbyterian churches, where she sang in the choirs and played in the handbell choirs. She was also a charter member of Bells of the Cascades, an auditioned community handbell choir.

Marge is survived by her children, Carolyn Bradley (Tom Foley); Jan Spoelstra (Eleanor); and Elizabeth Zimmerman (Michael); son-in-law Vern Nelson; five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Her husband, Harold, daughter, Maggie Nelson, and granddaughter, Jennifer Spoelstra, preceded her in death.

A memorial service will be held at Milwaukie Presbyterian Church on Saturday, February 2, 2013 at 2 PM. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the music program at Milwaukie Presbyterian Church or Bells of the Cascades, PO Box 151, Tualatin OR 97062. And Marge would love it if you attended a high school musical production! Please sign the online guestbook at www.skylinememorialgardens.com.