MORFORD, Marjorie M.

Marjorie M. Morford was born to Benjamin Frank and Roxie Mae Morford, May 27, 1925, in Aztec, N.M. She died early Sunday morning, May 10, 2009, just short of her 84th birthday. After spending her early years in New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma, she graduated from Classen High school in Oklahoma City, and attended Oklahoma College for Women in Chickasha, Okla., majoring in physical education (but she really wanted to be a nurse). Margie was swept off her feet by a young 2nd lieutenant, William A. Roehl, at a Valentine Dance held at the college. Bill picked her name from a list of women sent to the Army barracks and called her for the color of her dress so he could buy a corsage. They spent the evening dancing, and after a three-month courtship with daily letters and a proposal in a hospital ward where she was recovering from having her appendix out, they married June 1, 1944, for what would be almost 65 years of marriage. Moving around from Army post to Army post more than 18 times for more than 30 years, she raised three children, sometimes alone while Bill was deployed to various schools, Korea and Vietnam. She was an active military wife, serving the military communities as a Cub Scout den leader three times, Brownie and Senior Girl Scout Leader. She was active in several PTAs, holding a variety of offices over the years. She served as president of the Women of the Chapel at three different Army posts, as well as an active volunteer. As a senior officers wife, she served as president of two Army Wives Clubs. She organized and ran a Teen Club for two years, ran a swimming pool and gave Red Cross swimming lessons for several years. In 1966, she founded a social group in Lincoln, Neb., for wives of service personnel serving in Vietnam, where Bill was also serving. She volunteered in a hospital sick/well baby clinic and newborn nursery as well as a dental clinic over the years. She then took on the job of raising her grandson, Fredrick Jr. After Bill retired from the military, they remained in Savannah, Ga. She and Bill joined the Tybee Light Power Squadron and she later became their first female squadron commander. She worked as a branch manager of an H&R Block office. She and Bill were active members of the Isle of Hope United Methodist Church. She was president of the Band Booster Club, for which she chaperoned a European trip for the Spirit of America Band from Savannah, Ga., in which Fredrick Jr. played. They then followed their daughter, moving to Missoula in 1994, where Marjorie remained as active as she could while undergoing many surgeries that gradually robbed her of most of her mobility, but not her strength of character. She was a faithful member of Grace United Methodist Church. A baby son, Billy; mother, father, and three brothers precede her in death. Surviving are her husband Bill at home at the Springs; a son Frank Edward (Margy) Roehl of Heidelberg, Germany; daughter Roxanne (Randy Stekly) Roehl of Missoula; son Fredrick Sr. (Debra) Roehl of Oklahoma City, Okla; and adopted son Fredrick Jr. (Marie), Missoula; grandson Capt. Brian (Ashley) Roehl, (who have given her three great-grandsons); and granddaughters Aileen Roehl, Tadra Stekly, and Tianna Stekly, all of whom love and miss her. Marjorie was cremated and her ashes will be joined with Bills at his death and they will be interred at the Veterans Cemetery in Missoula. A celebration of life will be held at 2:30 p.m. Thursday, May 14, at Grace United Methodist Church. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given in her name to Grace UMC, PO Box 2999, Missoula, MT 59806.