Marjorie J Bigelow's Obituary
On September 4, 2013 at 2:30 p.m., Marjorie “Marge” Bigelow passed away of natural causes at St. Claire Hospital in Lakewood, Washington with family by her side. Marge was 92 years old, and could proudly say that prior to her passing she was the longest living resident of Maple Creek Assisted Living Facility. During that 92 years, she blessed the lives of many family and friends.
Majorie Bigelow was born in Tacoma, Washington on December 20, 1920. She was the 3rd child of Eva and John Lewtas, Sr. and sister to Harold and John Lewtas, Jr. Her family remained long-time residents of the Tacoma/Lakewood area, and came to know many of their neighbors in the community.
As a young girl, Marge enjoyed being active and social, growing into a responsible and caring lady. When she was a young woman she met her first husband Harold West, the father of three beautiful daughters: Melody, Wendy and Valerie. Marge loved to tell the story of how they met. She even fondly discussed it with her great grandson, while sharing her favorite cookies with him and reading his comic book just a few weeks before her passing. As Marge tells it, she was working in at a soda fountain and Harold would come in every week to order a Coca Cola. He arrived at the same time every night and would stay and chat with her until closing. One night, after several weekly visits of polite conversation, he finally decided that it was time to share his feelings with her. He said to Marge, “either you will let me walk you home this evening, or I’m afraid I can never come back here again”. Marjorie agreed and Harold said that he would like to know when it would be okay to ask her parents if she could join him for dinner. Marge agreed to let Harold walk her home. She told her great-grandson that somehow she and Harold decided they were hungry for Chinese food and stopped along the way. They completely lost track of time, having sat together and talked for several hours. They were smitten with each other. The following day, Harold met Marge’s parents and to her surprise, instead of taking her to dinner that evening as she expected, he devoted the entire evening to conversation with her family. They married on March 6, 1942 at Unity Church in Tacoma and she remained his beloved wife until Harold’s passing in 1968. Harold’s death was unexpected and left Marge with an aching heart.
Marge soon became reacquainted with Ellis Bigelow, who was a recent widower and military veteran living in their neighborhood. Ellis lost his wife of 28 years, Anna, and was equally saddened by his own loss. Ellis and Marjorie began to spend time together, enjoyed talking, provided emotional support to each other, and soon fell in love. They were married in December 1969, which gave Marjorie a large extended family. Ellis and Marjorie spent nearly 18 years together as husband and wife. They enjoyed travelling in their motor home all over the U.S. and Canada, playing cards with friends, spending time with grandchildren, and sharing in the friendships they built within their retirement community. Marge was also a 25 year member of TOPS and became a group leader, developing many close friends. Ellis and Marjorie happily remained husband and wife until Ellis lost his battle with cancer on July 4, 1987.
Marge said, merely hours before her passing on September 4, she was thankful for all the love she had in her lifetime. She adored the two men who blessed her life, was as much a mother to her daughters as she was a best friend, and cherished the grandchildren and great-grandchildren she had. Marge shared stories of her youth, participated in their lives, and was always the one they could turn to if ever there was a problem.
Sadly, two of her daughters preceded her in death – Wendy Sechrist and Melody West. She is survived by her daughter Valerie (Jerry) Schaler who was able to share the past two years of her retirement visiting her mom as often as possible. Marge is also survived by granddaughters Michelle West and Kim Sechrist, grandsons Jason and Jeff Sechrist, and newly born great-granddaughter Makayla West. Many of Ellis’ family also knew her as “Grandma B”, or Grandma Bigelow and will hold fond memories close to their hearts.
Marge’s final hours were spent looking at photos of her grandchildren, discussing stories, and even enjoying some laughter with her family. Her passing was somewhat expected but sudden. Above all else, it was peaceful. The family expresses gratitude to the emergency room nurses and doctors at St. Claire Hospital for bringing Marge added comfort and reassurance during the last moments of her life. They would also like to thank the staff and her many friends at Maple Creek Residential Living for the support she received while living there during the past 10 years.
Graveside services will be held on Thursday, September 12, 2013 at 2:30 p.m. at Mountain View Cemetery in Lakewood. A celebration of life will follow in the nearby hall.
Remembrances may be shared at www.mountainviewtacoma.com
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