Marsha Rae Carpenter was born on July 13, 1949 in Fort Dodge, Iowa to Maxine and Arnold Johnson. She inherited Arnold’s orneriness and Maxine’s loyalty to family. She was big sister to Kristie Johnson Tilden, and the sisters took pleasure in a lifetime of harassing each other. They shared bunk beds and once Marsha donned a werewolf mask and leaned over Kris’ bottom bunk and Kris screamed bloody murder. When Maxine came in to investigate the screams, Marsha was in the top bunk innocently reading a book. Marsha had fond memories of her childhood in Iowa and the family trips they would take. Iowa always held a special place in her heart, and later she would teach her children and grandchildren a song about Iowa being “where the tall corn grows.” She met her dear friend Dianne Campbell when she first ventured off to live on her own in Iowa.
In her early twenties she got a job at the Veterinary Biologic Division in Ames, Iowa. One unsuspecting day at work, a handsome young auditor named Herbert Carpenter (who was also a drifter at the time) entered her life. Herbert was smitten with Marsha’s long legs and short skirts. He romantically asked her to play a game of pickup basketball at the park and they entered into a relationship that would span 50 years.
Herb and Marsha married on June 19, 1971. They moved to an apartment in Kansas City and lived an adventurous life as a young couple. They took long car trips, camped, and rode motorcycles together. Marsha told stories about bugs getting in her teeth while on the motorcycle and how bad raindrops hurt when it rained. Both enjoyed positions with the Federal Government. They traveled a lot for Herb’s job and she loved exploring new destinations.
On April 19, 1974, Herb and Marsha’s life of youthful adventures ended when they became parents to daughter Jennifer. Marsha later teased Jennifer that she was an unattractive baby, but luckily this was just a phase that Jennifer grew out of. Marsha stopped working to take care of Jennifer full time and later, on March 5, 1978, Kim was born. The doctors were positive that Kim was going to be a boy based on how big she was but alas, Herb’s hopes were dashed. Leanna rounded out the family when she was born on September 6, 1980. Marsha said she was a surprise baby but that she was the best surprise ever. The family was complete – J, K, L.
Motherhood suited Marsha. She was kind, attentive, and completely devoted to her family. She sewed matching dresses for herself and her children, planned and executed elaborate holiday and birthday celebrations, and worked hard to create a lifetime of happy memories for her children. Summers were spent taking long car trips as a family all over the country. The family camped a lot, often with friends, and Marsha would regale others with scary stories of ThumpSquish around the campfire. On multiple occasions people were so scared they fell out of their lawn chair. They also had frequent trips to the lake, at first camping and then staying in cabins when camping with multiple children lost its allure. Sundays when her children were growing up were re-named Forced Family Fun Days and frequently included Death Marches where the kids were forced to hike long distances under duress (it felt like at least 20 miles but was more likely closer to 2). Sundays also included picnics with the Youngblood family, croquet, and family softball games. Marsha made it a point to enjoy a home cooked dinner with the whole family each evening even during the busy season of life with young children.
She was active in Girl Scouts and was a role model for her troop as a lover of nature and anything outdoors. Always the athlete, she and Herb coached multiple soccer teams. She was there on the sidelines to celebrate every goal with a ring of her cowbell – much to her children’s chagrin. She went to every school event and sporting event her children participated in. Growing up, the Carpenter house was the communal house for friends – because of Marsha’s warm, engaging demeanor, and also because she always had fresh baked cookies available. Friends of her daughters flocked to Marsha for advice and nurturing. She was a bonus mom to lots of children. She was also revered as Auntie Marsha to her sister Kris’ children – Angie, Shelly, Tessa, and Tyler. The families would meet in Iowa for holidays when the children were young. They have fond memories of Marsha giving them snugla – when she gave them loud kisses all over their faces. She stepped in as a maternal figure to her nieces when Kris passed away. She was also aunt to John and Stephen on the Carpenter side and schooled them in the art of playing the card game spoons.
Marsha was very involved at Holmeswood Baptist Church. She taught Sunday School and loved working with the toddlers. She thought it was hilarious any time a two year old would ask Herb if he had a baby in his belly. She enjoyed all the church activities like square dancing, Bible Study, and game nights. She volunteered to serve Wednesday Night dinners in Fellowship Hall. Marsha made the best homemade cinnamon rolls in the history of baked goods and they would instantly sell out at the church’s holiday market.
Marsha made several lifelong friends through Holmeswood. It’s where she met Gary and Clara Youngblood, and the two couples and their families enjoyed playing, traveling, and celebrating New Year’s Eve together. Clara was a shining light and great source of strength to Marsha. Marsha played on the church sports league and amazed her teammates with her sporting abilities. She was a wicked good softball pitcher and was relentless in her strike outs. She was a talented batter as well - one game she was carried off of the field by her teammates because she hit the winning home run. She had a closet full of league champion shirts as proof of her athletic prowess. She also played indoor volleyball through the church. Marsha was an enthusiastic sports fan as well. She was fond of yelling at the TV while watching Chiefs games. She liked to go to Royals games and one of her prized possessions was a glove signed by Frank White.
When her children were school age, Marsha returned to college to complete her degree. Higher education was very important to her and she told her children continually that they were going to college. After she obtained her degree she embarked on a 23 year career with the Federal Government. She moved through several positions through promotions and ended as a financial specialist with Federal Crop Insurance Company. She was dubbed the “High Shah of Finance.” She made numerous dear friends at work, and nicknamed her special group of friends “The Bad Boys.” Together they were a group of practical jokers and mischief makers. Frequently, Marsha would return from a weekend off to find her desk completely rearranged. Another time she and her friends arranged a practical joke that involved a letter and a phone call to her terrified teenage daughter that she was being audited. After she retired, Marsha kept in contact with her work friends, enjoying dinners with too many margaritas.
Marsha loved to travel. She visited every state except Rhode Island and Oregon. She loved going on cruises with her family and visited Alaska, Mexico, and the Bahamas this way.
Son in laws Peter and Kyle joined the Carpenter clan in 2001 and 2005. Herb was overjoyed to not be as outnumbered. In September of 2008, with the birth of her first grandson, Teddy, Marsha entered in the role of a lifetime. It was a role that was uniquely and specially designed for her – that of Mema. Grandson Luke was born the following February and Violet followed in June 2011. There has never been a more doting or more proud grandparent. She retired shortly after she became a Mema and spent her free time taking her grandchildren on adventures – to the zoo, pumpkin patches, and Powell Gardens. She turned her basement into a toy and Lego wonderland and frequented garage sales to help fill the basement with treasures. Her grandchildren spent many happy hours in the basement playing with Mema and Pepa, making Lego cities, playing hide and seek, and eating snacks. She hosted slumber parties with the grandkids and would spoil them with steak dinners and ice cream. She wasn’t just Mema to her grandchildren though. She was well known as Mema to a host of her grandchildren’s friends and to the students at the local elementary school, where she volunteered. She read with the children, tutored them, and loved on them. She was a local celebrity and the students got so excited when she would volunteer.
In 2016 she realized a lifelong dream and purchased a house at the Lake of the Ozarks. This was her happy place. She loved being by the water – water calmed and soothed her. She enjoyed hosting family and friends at the lake house. She spent hours at the dock watching her grandchildren jump off the diving board and go down the slide. She tirelessly cooked huge meals to feed the throngs of people. She had a triangle to ring when it was time to eat and everyone would come running. She loved to take the boat out and watch her children and grandchildren get knocked off the inner tube. She watched the sunset from the upper deck. One of her last visits to the lake house included her dancing on the martini deck under the moon to all of her favorite songs with some of her favorite people.
These are some of the highlights of Marsha’s extraordinary life. This in no way does her justice, though. There are no words that can adequately describe her giving nature, her vibrancy, her spiritedness, her spunk, her stubbornness, her strength. She was a shining example of putting others first. She didn’t know a stranger and she would chat with anyone, willing or unwilling. She was a prankster. She made the best baked beans. She was a crazy old coot. She was the official family photographer. She was fun and positive and energetic. She loved to make up stories for her grandbabies at bedtime. When someone told her to have a good day, she said “Every day is a good day.” And she loved her family – completely, fully, unconditionally. That will be her legacy – that as matriarch of the family, she taught us by example that family is valued above everything else.
In lieu of flowers, volunteer to serve a meal at or send donations to: Kansas City Hospice House, KCHPC, 1500 Meadow Lake Parkway, Suite 200, Kansas City, Missouri 64114. Financial donations may also be sent to Marsha Carpenter Memorial Fund at Holmeswood Baptist Church, 9700 Holmes Road, Kansas City, Missouri 64131. Online condolences may be made at www.mtmoriah.net.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18