Dorothy Marguerite Cherry Marine was born in Lakeland, FL on December 18, 1923, to Roby Dalton Cherry and Luna Byrd Cherry. She graduated from Plant High School, Tampa, FL, in 1942, and Florida State Women’s College in Tallahassee in 1952. She grew up in a multicultural neighborhood and learned to speak fluent Spanish from her childhood friends, a skill that would serve her well in college years, translating whole books and manuscripts to assist her professors, plus winning several foreign-language speaking and translating contests in her junior high school years.
Marguerite met her future husband, Mahlon Leon Marine, through mutual friends while home from college in 1944. They had a correspondence courtship as he was stationed in Okinawa for 18 months, then they married on June 7, 1946 in Tallahassee. Afterward, they moved to Knoxville, TN, for Mahlon (Mel) to attend the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. He also joined the National Guard, and she worked in a department store. Soon, two children came along; Sue Elyn and David Adrian. Just as Mahlon finished college, he was called back into the Army to serve in Korea, so he moved the family back to Tallahassee so Marguerite could finish her education degree. Her two children attended her college graduation in 1952. Mahlon returned from Korea, and Marguerite became a teacher and taught fourth and fifth grades at Edgewood Elementary in Union, TN.
The Marine family moved to Kingston, TN, and Mahlon worked at the Oak Ridge facility, known as the “Secret City”. Two more children were added; Melissa Faye and Krista Jane. In 1961, the family relocated to the Rocket City of Huntsville, AL. Marguerite chose to become a stay-at-home mom, and eventually, two more children arrived; Raymond Keith and James Alan. The family joined Whitesburg Baptist Church, and Marguerite and Mahlon taught Sunday School, he served as a deacon, and they helped form and serve in the River Mission for several years.
The Marine family relocated to Leeds, AL in 1973, then to Burlington, NC in 1978, and back to Huntsville, AL in 1998. Throughout those years, Marguerite especially enjoyed being involved at Valley View Baptist, Grove Park Baptist, and Southside Baptist churches, respectively. Marguerite was a lady of great faith, and looked forward to attending and serving in each fellowship. She encouraged her children to serve as well, which has been a great blessing in the family for many years. She found ways to support the interests of her children, and was a constant companion to her husband of 71 years.
She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Mahlon Leon Marine, on July 2, 2017, her daughter, Melissa Marine Howard in February 1984, son David Adrian on September 20, 1999, and grandson Austin Tyler Marine on November 1, 2019. She is survived by daughter Sue and husband, Remigius Shatas; daughter Krista and husband Mark Lawley; son Raymond and wife Janet; son Jimmy and wife Renea; grandchildren Miranda (Mike Nelson), Lara (Casey Lenard), Melissa (Brandon Burks), Brian and Cameron Marine; Courtney and Logan Marine; great-grandchildren Melody, Marshall, and Marisa Nelson; Wilson Burks; and Matthew Lenard.
Marguerite especially enjoyed participating in the Southside Baptist Ukulele Band, performing in retirement homes and other churches, traveling all through the South. She was a gifted and tireless gardener, raising hundreds of iris, lilies, hydrangea; also tomatoes, squash, okra, cucumbers, strawberries, and her amazing butter peas. Her great loves were her husband, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, and she treasured all the moments they could visit and stay a while. She was an extremely talented seamstress, cook, writer, poet, and she collected beautiful geodes and seashells from all over the world.
In lieu of flowers, her memory would be highly honored by donating to one of her favorite organizations, the Mercy Ships floating medical facilities at www.mercyships.org.
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