Marilyn Kay Lancaster

Marilyn was born to Loyd and Eleanor Maranville in Benkelman, Nebraska at Morehouse Hospital on December 13, 1939. She attended grade school in a

one-room country schoolhouse (Porter) in Cheyenne County, Kansas until the 8th grade.

She graduated from Benkelman High School in 1957 and moved to Denver and attended Emily Griffith Business College while working. She worked various

jobs in Denver, including banks with her friend, Dee Dee Edelen, and Martin Marietta with her best friend, Sallie Henthorne.

Later in her adult life, she moved back to Benkelman where she owned and operated The NAPA Store for many years and raised her family.

One of her greatest passions was following family genealogies and understanding her ancestors. She spent many hours connecting those lines to days

gone by in order to strengthen family ties.

In 1960, Marilyn married Tom Woodside and to that marriage one daughter was born in 1967 – Judith Diane. In 1978, she married Leland Pursley and his

daughter, Sherri, carved a special place in Marilyn’s heart where she continued to stay to the end of Marilyn’s life.

In 1988, Marilyn married the love of her life and best friend, Jim Lancaster, where she welcomed three more step-children into her life, Marilyn, Michelle, and

James. Marilyn and Jim enjoyed riding motorcycles across the country as they traveled from coast to coast on many trips with friends. They moved the

NAPA store from Benkelman, Nebraska to Idaho Springs, Colorado before moving to Lakewood.

Marilyn enjoyed camping, swimming, boating, and fishing and taught many young family members how to water ski. Marilyn enjoyed her grandkids to the

fullest, teaching them how to play marbles and pitch and surprising them with $2 Bills on holidays. Eli and Ethan Spady, and Blake and Piper Munn were her pride and joy.

After selling the NAPA business, Marilyn worked in the cashier’s cage at the casinos in Central City where she made lots of friends and had lots of laughs.

Marilyn passed away Friday afternoon, December 19, 2014 at St. Anthony’s Hospital in Lakewood, Colorado. She had just turned 75 years of age while in

the hospital. Marilyn’s strong faith in God and the Catholic Church were with her all her life and she received all 7 blessed sacraments of the Catholic Faith.

When Marilyn left this world, she was surrounded in love by her husband, daughters, brother and sister-in-law in the room and was wrapped in love by a few

items of comfort, such as blankets and pillows, from Eli and Ethan on her bed.

Preceded in death by:

• Parents, Loyd and Eleanor Maranville

• Infant brother, Eugene

• Brother-in-law, Walt Barenberg

• Best friend, Sallie Henthorne

• Other various cousins and aunts/uncles

Survived by:

• Husband, James Lancaster Sr.

• Daughter, Judith Diane Spady and husband, Eric

• Grandsons, Eli and Ethan Spady

• Step-daughter, Sherri Jackson and husband, Wayne

• Step-children, Marilyn Steinbeck; Michelle Munn and husband, Chris; and James Lancaster Jr.

• Step-grandchildren, Blake and Piper Munn

• Brother, Thomas Maranville and wife, Patsy

• Sister, Sharon Barenberg

• Nieces, Carla Orrell and husband, Dave; Connie Kamla and husband, Matt; and Chris Barenberg and all of their families

• Nephews, Don Barenberg and wife, Sandy; and Steve Barenberg and wife, Stacey and all of their families