Although she didn’t get to try all the recipes she cut out, finish all her quilting projects or use all craft supplies she had saved, the Lord decided it was time for her to join her family members who were waiting for her. Marjorie Lucern Garten Blakeslee passed away on August 18, 2024 in Hutchinson, Kansas. She was the daughter of John Whitman and Esther Elizabeth (Gramberg) Garten and was born in Newton, Kansas, on January 28, 1926.
She attended school in Newton through her junior year and graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Chicago, Illinois. She graduated from Colorado Woman’s College, Denver, with an AA degree and completed her education with a BS in Secondary Education from the University of Kansas. As a student she was initiated into Zeta Sigma Pi, Phi Theta Kappa, Phi Alpha Theta and Pi Lambda Theta. Following her graduation she taught in Onaga, Kansas for two years and Great Bend, Kansas for two years.
Marjorie met Albert Donald “Don” Blakeslee while double dating with friends when they were both attending KU. They were married in Danforth Chapel on the University of Kansas campus on August 19, 1950 and the marriage lasted for 71 years. When Don returned from his military service, they moved to Rawlins, Wyoming where he resumed teaching at Rawlins High School. At that time the Rawlins School system did not employ married women teachers so she used her secretarial skills and worked for most of the practicing attorneys in Rawlins. Later she worked as secretary to the Director of Nurses at the local hospital for five years. She retired as an employee of the Carbon County ASCS Office in 1989 where she received awards for excellence for her work.
As a young girl she had many opportunities to travel extensively throughout the United States in part due to her father’s employment by the Santa Fe Railroad. During her marriage she and Don had opportunities to travel together to sixteen foreign countries.
Surviving her are her daughter Julia Drake (Steve); daughter-in-law Denise Blakeslee; five grandchildren, Peter Blakeslee, Cori Blakeslee, Whitney Rowley, Elizabeth Drake, and Emmalee Wright (Brian); and numerous great- and great-great-grandchildren. As a former member of France Memorial Presbyterian Church, in Rawlins she was ordained as an Elder and was elected and served as Clerk of Session for eighteen years. In addition, she served on the Presbytery Committee on Ministry, Personnel Committee and Council. She was elected to serve as Moderator of the Presbytery of Wyoming. She served two terms on the Colorado Woman’s College Alumnae Association Board and was appointed to the Carbon County Senior Services Board for several terms. Many times she served as secretary to these organizations.
She and her husband were a devoted couple who cherished all activities that brought them in contact with their family. In Rawlins she was one of the founding members of the Church craft group, Fun and Fancywork, that organized the Santa’s Closet Bazaar and for almost twenty years gave the community the opportunity to buy Christmas items for friends and family and to buy the wonderful foodstuffs members of the Church contributed. She was a member of AAUW, AARP and a fifty-year member of Eastern Star.
When the snow on the driveway got increasingly hard to move and traveling over miles of highway in the wintertime was becoming difficult, Marjorie and Don made the decision to move closer to family and settled in Hutchinson in 2007 where there were many opportunities to get involved in community and church activities. In her spare moments she loved to knit, craft, sew, quilt and go to garage sales.
After moving to Hutchinson she and Don joined the New Covenant Presbyterian Church where she sang in the choir and joined the Presbyterian Women’s organization. After Don’s passing, she joined the First Presbyterian Church. She also was a member of the Red Hat Society.
Preceding her in death were her parents, husband Don, son Mark Blakeslee (Denise), granddaughter Cassie Blakeslee, and great-grandson Christopher Henderson.
Click here to view the Celebration of Life service for Mrs. Marjorie Blakeslee.
Celebration of her life will be 2:00 p.m. Sunday, August 25, 2024, at Elliott Mortuary. Her ashes will be combined with those of her husband for inurnment at a later date. The family would like her friends to come to the service comfortably dressed and ready to share their memories of Marjorie. Following this celebration, light refreshments will be served at First Presbyterian Church, 201 East Sherman Street, Hutchinson, for anyone that wants to socialize and remember Marjorie. Friends may sign the book from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, at Elliott Mortuary.
Memorials are suggested to the donor’s choice, in care of Elliott Mortuary, 1219 N. Main, Hutchinson, KS 67501.