Lenore Mae (Slagter) Marcus

Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God, trust also in me.   -John 14:1

Lenore Mae (Slagter) Marcus, age 96 of Willmar,  passed away Wednesday morning, March 3, at Compassionate Care Cottage. 

The Celebration of Life Service for Lenore Marcus will take place on Tuesday, June 29, at Unity Christian Reformed Church of Prinsburg, Minnesota.  The community is invited to join the family for the interment at 9:00am at Holland Township Cemetery, followed by the Celebration service at 10:30am at the church.  The family then welcomes everyone to remain after the service for a luncheon in Lenore’s memory, giving thanks to God for her life and testimony.

Lenora Mae was born on November 19, 1924 to Garrit and Lillian (Wibbels) Slagter on the family farm north of Roseland.  Later the family moved to a farm west of Prinsburg on highway 7.  She had a typical farm girl life with older sister Priscilla and younger brother Thorval.  They all had chores to do and Lenora’s was to take care of the cows with her dog Tippy following her everywhere.  Instead of a bicycle, she had a pony to ride to visit her friends.

Lenora completed 8th grade at Prinsburg Christian School.  Starting in 9th grade, she rode the bus to Clara City.   Lenora enjoyed her 4 years at Clara City High School.  It was then she changed her first name to Lenore.  She and her best friend June sang together often at local events and even on the radio.  Lenore also participated in class plays with her friend Vivian.  Her senior year was marked with the bombing of Pearl Harbor.  Her boyfriend “Bud” Marcus enlisted in the navy.  The class of 1942’s yearbook was full of classmates’  plans of helping in the war effort.

After her May 28, 1942 graduation Lenore, along with her sister Pat and cousin Ruth, headed to Minneapolis to attend the Department of  Defense welding school.  The 3 Musketeers became “Rosie the Riveters” and headed to Ypsilanti, Michigan to work on B-25 bombers at the converted Ford plant.  Fond memories included watching Henry Ford and Charles Lindbergh walk under the plane she was working on while they were touring the plant.

In April, 1943, Lenore and sister Pat were home in Prinsburg visiting their parents.  At the same time her boyfriend Bud was home on leave from the Navy.  On April 16, 1943, Lenore married Russell Marcus.  After their simple ceremony he went back to his ship and she went back to welding bombers.

Summer of 1943 Lenore and Russell started their married life in Corpus Christi, Texas in Navy Quarters.  They enjoyed a year together before Russell was back on the ship the USS Megara heading to the Pacific Theatre.  Lenore moved home to her parents.  Son Roger was born February1945 in Prinsburg while his dad was gone.  When the war was over they lived in Prinsburg and son Norman was born June 1947.  After a few years in civilian life Russell enlisted in the U.S. Army and the little family moved to Fort Sill, Oklahoma.  Son Timothy was born there in January 1953 while his dad was in Germany.

Proverbs 31:10-31 defined Lenore’s role as a military wife.  No matter which army base in the US and in Germany that they were sent to, Lenore set up a home where her sons felt cared for and loved.  The family lore was that she left every living quarters cleaner than the way they found it!  The boys’ friends always felt welcomed in the Marcus household.

When Russell went to Vietnam for a year in 1966, Lenore and Tim moved to the valley near her sister in Texas.  Upon his return the family moved to Germany for his 3rd and last Army tour.

Retirement came in 1968 and they moved back to Prinsburg to care for her parents.  Lenore and Russell spent summers out west with Duininck’s Road Construction.  They enjoyed those 30 years,  joining Unity CRC Church, visiting and playing cards with friends, traveling back to Germany twice, and spending winters in Tucson.

Lenore is survived by Roger (and Karen) Marcus of Palouse, WA, Norm (and Rose) Marcus of Lafayette, LA, and Tim (and Vonna) Marcus of Sioux Falls, SD.  Also surviving are her beloved grandchildren Andree’ (and Brad) Rader of Palouse, WA, Nick (and Stephanie) Marcus of Shorewood, MN, Jordan (and Tim) Forsthoff of Lafayette, LA, Erin (and Dustin) Douglas of Sioux Falls, SD, and Jackie (and Seth) Lozano of Duluth, MN.  Lenore was overjoyed by the 18 great grandkids and displayed all their pictures.

Lenore was preceded in death by her parents, husband Russell, sister Priscilla Roelofs, brother Thorval Slagter, grandson Roger Marcus, and great granddaughter Natalie Forsthoff.

The family appreciates the love and care of Lenore by the Compassionate Care Cottage staff.

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