Marshall Pierce
Obituary
Marshall Elbert Pierce was born Oct.
25, 1925, in Reed County, Oklahoma, near Mangum, to Roy and Flora
(McKinley) Pierce. The family moved between Oklahoma and Kansas
several times and settled in Belle Plaine. He was one of eight
children.
Following high school he enlisted in
the army and served as a radio operator on the USS Santa Maria, a
troop transport ship. He became proficient in Morse code and
shorthand. The development of those skills led to a position with The
Santa Fe Railway Company where he worked until retiring.
He and Marie Lackey were married on
Oct. 23, 1948, at the Peabody Christian Church. They were blessed
with four children, Layne, Susie, Jeanne and Joyce, 11 grandchildren
and 16 great grandchildren. They shared a love of music and performed
together many times over the 54 years of their married life.
Following Marie's passing in 2002,
Marshall married Shirley Kelly on March 3, 2005. At the time of his
death he resided at Kansas Christian Home in Newton. He was preceded
in death by his wife Marie, parents, twin brother Marion, brother
Malcolm (Pug) and sisters Lucy Patrick, Dell Gifford, Wanda Burrows,
Juanita Kilts, and grandson Ethan Schmidt.
He is survived by wife Shirley of
Newton, son Layne Pierce (Mila), daughters Susie Schmidt (Tom),
Jeanne Strotkamp (Audie) and Joyce Tyner, grandchildren and great
grandchildren, sister Ella Neptune Belle Plaine, cousins, nieces and
nephews.
Services were Tuesday (Jan. 12, 2016)
at Belie Plaine Baptist Church, with burial in Belle Plaine Cemetery.
Memorials to the Belle Plaine Alumni Association may be sent to Baker
Funeral Home, 114 Sycamore Street, Peabody, KS 66866.
Visitation was 5 to 7 p.m. Monday (Jan.
11, 2016) at Baker Funeral Home in Peabody.
