- Date Of Birth: November 29, 1927
- Date Of Death: October 17, 2020
- State: Iowa
Marilyn Fenton Walz, 92, of Lawrence, Kansas, formerly of Des Moines, Iowa, passed away peacefully at Bridge Haven, Madel’s House, on Saturday, October 17, 2020.
The beloved daughter of Elsie (Katz) Fenton and Everett Orr Fenton, she was born on November 29, 1927, in Des Moines, Iowa, where she spent her childhood and graduated from Roosevelt High School. Her college career began at Drake University then transferring to University of Iowa where she completed a Bachelor of Arts in Speech and Theater. She married Frank Eugene Munson in 1950, with whom she had three children and was married to for seventeen years. In 1965, she returned to college and earned a MA in education from the University of Missouri at Kansas City (UMKC). She taught elementary students in the Shawnee Mission School District for 20 years. On November 9, 1973, she married M. John Walz. They were married eighteen years. After retiring from teaching, she turned her love of teaching 4th grade Kansas History into a second career as a tour guide with Blue Ribbon Tours in the Kansas City area. Along with her love for sharing local history, she was deeply involved in volunteer activities. She volunteered for her church, the American Royal, and for her Sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta. She was a board member for CASA, one of Theta’s philanthropy projects and was named KC Theta of the Year in 1995.
Marilyn is survived by her children: Karen (Gary) Vespestad, Laura Munson, and Kirk (Kelly) Munson; grandchildren: Dyan Vespestad, Heather (Shawn) Ong, Joseph (Lianna Baimas-George) Rodhouse, Daren Rodhouse, Shaun Munson, and Leandra Munson; great-grandchildren; Kirk Johnson, Alivia Johnson, Tatum Johnson, Annelyse Ong, and Mariela Ong. She is also survived by three step-daughters: JoLynne (Robin) Martinez, Julie (Shawn) Taylor, and Cara (Brad Hackerott) Walz of Tucson; step-grandchildren: Felix Hackerott, Isabella Martinez, Charlotte (Chris) Proud, and Chandra Walz, and step-great-grandchildren: Kyler Walz, and Mira Proud. She was preceded in death by her parents; brothers: Ronald Fenton and Keith Fenton; sister, Janice Fenton-Harris and her husband, John Walz.
