Marilee (Kinne) Mace, 89, of Sterling, KS, passed away on March 19, 2023, from congestive heart failure. Marilee was born on September 17, 1933, to Marcus and Bessie Kinne in San Benito, TX. She attended Nazarene College in Bethany, Oklahoma. Spring semester 1955, she met her husband Glenn Mace. They were married July 20, 1956. She worked for Civil Service at Kelly AFB, San Antonio, TX, while Glenn was stationed there as a general instructor of recruits.
In 1956, Glenn was transferred to Altus AFB, OK, where Keith was born in 1958. After leaving the Air Force in 1959, Glenn was appointed student pastor of Morning Star Methodist Church, Guymon, OK. Marilee was now a pastor’s wife. While there, she completed her last year of college at Panhandle A&M, obtaining a B.S. in Business Education. After moving to Oklahoma City in 1961, she attended graduate school at Central State University.
During the years of 1961-1964, she worked as bookkeeper, secretary, and again pastor’s wife, living 2 years in Union City, OK, and 2 years in Cleo Springs, OK, where Mark was born in 1964.
In 1968, Marilee and Glenn moved to McAlester, OK, where she taught G.E.D in Adult Education at the Oklahoma State Prison, Women’s Ward in McAlester. When they moved back to Oklahoma City in 1969, she went to work at the Oklahoma City Skill Center, developing a hospital ward clerk training program for Oklahoma Vo-Tech schools. She also taught high school part-time.
In 1972, she and Glenn purchased his father’s beekeeping and honey production business in Sterling, KS. She worked with Glenn as co-owner of Mace Honey Company, producing and processing honey commercially and also managing honeybees for agricultural crop pollination.
From 1957 to the present, she and her husband were active members of the United Methodist Church in TX, OK, and KS. She served as Sunday School teacher, student pastor’s wife, UMW president, Missions Committee Coordinator, and coordinator of adult mission trips.
In 2003, Marilee and Glenn retired from the honey business and moved back to Sterling, KS, and remained there until her death and going home to be with Jesus!
Marilee is survived by her husband, Glenn; her son, Keith (Elizabeth) and their children, Nina (Zack), and Dashiell (Jen); and her son, Mark (Valerie) and their children, Brenda (Bryan), Aiden, and Avery. Marilee and Glenn also have three great-grandchildren.
A memorial service is planned for 2:00 p.m. Saturday, April 1, 2023, Sterling First United Methodist Church. A reception will be held at the church after the service. Flowers may be sent to Sterling First UMC. Memorial donations may be sent to Sterling Kids Cove ([email protected], 620-278-6045).
Hutchinson Funeral Chapel is in charge of the arrangements.