Marie Lavon Blackburn (Wilson/Noe), 90, of Parsons passed away the morning of Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, at Good Samaritan Society in Parsons. Lavon was preceded by her husband, Marvin L. Blackburn, on June 23 of this year.
Lavon was born on March 29, 1934, in Farlington to Roy and Gladys (Carnall) Noe. Lavon grew up and attended school in the Farlington area. One of her fondest early memories as a young child was when they “camped” along a road on the edge of a potato field and had potatoes for supper and breakfast. Times were hard so her father was a migratory farm worker. As a family, they would walk and hitchhike from Kansas to Oklahoma to Arkansas and back through Missouri to home in Farlington.
As a young lady, she moved to Ogalala, Nebraska, where she met her first husband, Haskel C. Wilson. They moved to Denver, Colorado, where there was promise of many job opportunities. They settled at a campground in what is now Commerce City, a suburb of Denver. There, a local faithful pastor led them to salvation in Christ through his “door knocking ministry.” Haskel eventually found steady work with a Rural Electric Association (REA) near Brighton, Colorado. They were able to afford a place in a newly developing mobile home park called Space City. It later became named Lochbuie (Lock-boo-ee). They raised three boys, Micheal, Daniel and Paul.
Over the years while in Lochbuie, Lavon held a variety of jobs. From industrial egg gatherer to hired house cleaning and, eventually, circuit board assembly work at Storage Technologies Cooperation in Broomfield, Colorado. While raising Mike and Danny in their early teen years, Lavon and her friend, Helen, also held child evangelism fellowship (CEF) meetings for the local youth of the neighborhood.
After retiring and becoming empty nesters, they moved back to Altus, Arkansas, where they cared for Haskel’s aging mother. While living in Arkansas, Lavon got involved at a senior citizens hall where she helped cook and prepare lunches. Haskel passed away in November 1999, a few years after his mother. Lavon’s youngest son, Paul, helped her move to Parsons to be closer to her brother, Robert and Dorothy Noe, and his family.
While in Parsons, Lavon again got involved at the senior citizens hall preparing lunches as well as participating in senior dances around the greater SEK area. It was at one of these dances that she met Marvin. After a short courtship, which was made up of mostly senior dances, volunteering and socializing at the Parsons Senior Center and attending church together, they got married in March 2003.
Lavon is survived by four children, her youngest son, Paul Wilson and his wife, Andrea, of Papua, New Guinea, Kent Blackburn and his wife, Teressa, of Dennis, Cheryl Thomas and her husband, Gene, of Altamont, Jason Langston and his wife, Taffy, of Parsons; 14 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; a great-great-grandchild; her brother, Robert Noe and his wife, Dorthy, of Farlington; and several nieces and nephews.
Lavon was preceded in death by her first husband, Haskel C. Wilson; her second husband, Marvin L. Blackburn; five children, Phil Blackburn, Mike Langston, Janice Cummings, Mike Wilson and Dan Wilson; two grandchildren, Justin Langston and Chase Langston; and a great-grandchild, Ridge Blackburn.
There will be a small family memorial as per her wishes. The family suggests memorials to Altoona Days Association to help support the senior citizens dances that Lavon and Marvin enjoyed being a part of. These may be left at or mailed to Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home, P.O. Box 374, Parsons, KS, 67357.
Leave online condolences at www.forbeshoffman.com.
