The first of six daughters, she was born Sept. 18, 1917, to Talmadge DeWitt “Bill” Marshall and Dorothy (DeVaney) Marshall on a farm southwest of McCune.
In 1928, the family moved to a farm south of Zion Hill. She attended Stover Country School and was a 1935 graduate of Labette County Community High School in Altamont. She earned her a bachelor’s degree in 1959 from Kansas State Teachers College in Pittsburg.
She married Duane Monroe on March 22, 1942, at the United Methodist Church in Altamont. After teaching 40 years, the last 23 years at Ellis School, Fern retired in 1980. She was a member of the Parsons chapter of AARP, the Alpha Delta Kappa Sorority and the Altamont ABW White Cross ladies group.
She was a member of Zion Hill Church, where she had served as Sunday school superintendent, Bible school teacher and pianist and helped organize and conduct numerous summer vacation Bible schools. She loved to travel overseas with three younger sisters.
Survivors include a son, Duane Monroe Jr. of rural Altamont; a granddaughter, Carmen Michelle Monroe of Skiatook, Okla.; two sisters, Ruth Evans of Riverton and Lois Balkenhol of Emporia; and numerous nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Duane Monroe Sr. in 1988; and three sisters, Doris Mein, Marjorie Geren and Leah Sprecker.
The service will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Bath-Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home in Altamont. Burial will be in Pleasant Valley Cemetery near Oswego. Friends may call at their convenience from 1 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home or until service time Friday.
Online condolences may be left at www.forbeshoffman.com.
Post a Comment