- Date Of Birth: February 1, 1930
- Date Of Death: December 3, 2020
- State: Michigan
Marjorie, a faithful servant of our Lord Jesus Christ, entered heaven to join many loved ones including her husband, sister, brother, and parents. She passed away peacefully with a smile on her face, as if to say, “Finally home.”
She was born in Warren, Illinois to the late Reverend Melvin Walter and Elvira Dorthy (Sundin) Johnson. Marjorie (Margie) married Walter (Walt) Phillip Francis on June 13, 1953 in a garden wedding at her father’s church, First Baptist, in Plainwell, Michigan.
Margie lived life to the fullest as a wife, mother, teacher, musician, cook, hostess and world traveler. She and Walter celebrated their 63rd wedding anniversary before he passed away in 2017. She doted on her children and grandchildren and spent many hours preparing excellent meals and finding or making gifts for them. She instilled a love of reading, education and of God in them. Parchment Middle School students were lucky to have Mrs. Francis as their English teacher and many commented on how she instilled her appreciation for proper grammar and good books to them. For decades she used her incredible keyboarding skills to play both piano and organ for church services, funerals, weddings, and other celebratory events. Many people were hosted by Margie and Walt over the years at their home in Portage, or their cottage on Gun Lake. Their hospitality was legendary. Travel adventures took them to every state except Alaska, and to many countries. They especially enjoyed their trips to Scandinavia, Israel and a Reformation Tour led by Dr. Edwin Lutzer of Moody Bible Institute.
Margie graduated from Northern Baptist College (now Judson University) with a B.A. in Christian Education, and from Western Michigan University with a M.A. in Language Arts Education. She was named an Outstanding Educator of the Seventies in Who’s Who. Upon retirement she volunteered in numerous capacities: Borgess Medical Center–Pastoral Care, Borgess Nursing Home–leading sing-a-longs, Berean Baptist Church–organist, Loaves and Fishes–food pantry, and on the board of Hospital Chaplain’s Services, Inc., among others.
Marjorie is survived by children, Deborah Joy-Francis Holman (Mark), Joel Francis (fiance Diana Smith); 4 grandchildren, Rebekah Holman (Philip Westover), Carl Holman (Courtney Wilkins), Elizabeth Francis, Sarah Francis Milham (Brent Hoogerhyde); and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Walter Francis; her siblings and their spouses: Dr. Melvin Johnson and Dorothy Johnson Bourdo; her brothers-in-law and their wives: John (Jack) Francis, Paul Francis, David Francis, Haldene Francis, Marian Francis; her son-in-law, Mark Holman; and several nieces.
Marjorie Francis Life Story
“And being confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in me will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”
Philippians 1:6
Born at a parsonage in the small northern Illinois town of Warren on February 1, 1930, Marjorie Eleanor Johnson joined her parents Reverend Melvin Walter and Mrs. Elvira Dorthy Sundin Johnson and older brother, Melvin Walter, Jr. Her sister, Dorthy, joined the family 16 month later on June 14, 1931. Her father was the pastor of the Warren Baptist Church, an established congregation housed in a Civil War-era stone edifice. The entire family enjoyed worship and fellowship at the church, and little Margie loved to pretend to play the piano before she actually could.
In the mid-1930s Rev. MW Johnson accepted the call to pastor the First Baptist Church in Sycamore, Illinois. Their parsonage was perfectly situated near the church, the schools, the library and Mom’s piano teacher, Mrs Updike. They resided, ministered and worked in Sycamore until the 1950s. They appreciated being close to Chicago relatives, yet near to rich Illinois farmland.The great depression and World War II brought unique challenges to the family, but through the generosity of local farmers and their own garden, there was plenty to eat. Mom’s mom, Elvira, a Registered Nurse, was called to service during and after the war. She loved nursing and ended up working until her retirement in the 1960s.
Mom was a Swedish girl whose grandparents immigrated in the 1860s from Sweden to the USA. On Elvira’s side, Grandma Sundin (Gertrude Kristine Lovgren) took an early inheritance and left Sweden at age fifteen. She first resided in Iowa with relatives, then moved on to Chicago where she was employed as a domestic servant for a wealthy family. She met Grandpa Gustav Sundin at the Salem Covenant Church and they married shortly thereafter. Gustav is remembered for his stone cutting skills that he employed at palatial turn-of-the-century buildings in Chicago and his violin virtuosity along with perfect pitch. Gertrude is remembered for mothering, modeling for Marshall Field’s Department Store and marching with the suffragettes. On Melvin’s side his parents also immigrated to the United States from Sweden in the 1860s. His father, Henry Johnson, was a Civil Engineer who left his mark as the designer of the famous Horseshoe Bridge in Pennsylvania. His mother, Alma, was a go-getter. She struggled after her husband died suddenly and left her a widow with four young children. Mom’s dad, Melvin, went to work full-time as a young teenager and finished high school through evening and correspondence courses. The fact that he made it through graduate school, earning a Master’s of Divinity, is a testament to his calling to ministry, his keen intelligence and his determination. Mom’s Grandma Johnson ended up out-living three husbands, her last new married name was Cox. This is important because there is a butter fudge frosting that she created and is named after her–Grandma Cox Frosting. This recipe is a family treasure. (Especially good on dark chocolate cake!)
The family embraced Swedish traditions for food and holidays, and these traditions carry on till this present time. The Christmas smorgasbords were and are amazing: Swedish Potato Sausage, meatballs, rice pudding, bruna bonor, lingonberries, salmon, veal sylta, bond-ost, pickled herring, limpa rye bread, oodles of tiny buttery cookies of various kinds and tortes from Widen’s Swedish Bakery in Chicago. Christmas Eve was the time to celebrate with food, carols and gift exchanges. The houses were decorated with trees enhanced by hand blown glass bulbs, wood and straw ornaments and candles or lights. God Jul! Merry Christmas!
Mom and her sister were first given piano lessons by their mom, but soon graduated to Mrs. Updike, who lived nearby. Both girls studied through high school and both became highly proficient on keyboards and were able to use their gifts to play well into their 80s. Both were church pianists, and solo, ensemble and choir accompanists. Mom was also accomplished on the pipe organ complete with foot pedals and lots of stops to make all kinds of tonalities. They truly blessed the Lord with their musical gifts. The sisters had voices that blended beautifully and sang duets for church, weddings, funerals and once when ages 3 and 4, were on the Moody Club radio show (WKYB). This special event was marked by new matching dresses purchased by favorite Aunt Mildred, one of Melvin’s sisters.
The Johnson family entertained all kinds of guest preachers, missionaries and church dignitaries in the parsonage. One lovely Sunday a pleasant, handsome young man spoke at First Baptist–Billy Graham. He was then a student at Wheaton College, but already felt the call to his evangelism ministry. Mom told us of a walk in the park after dinner with young Billy Graham letting the little girls named Margie and Dotty hold his hands. They were thrilled! Later, Mom was pleased that the ministry of Billy Graham was so impactful on a world-wide scale. In the early 2000’s she, her husband, Walter, and daughter, Deborah, toured the new Billy Graham Museum in Charlotte, North Carolina and were awed by what God accomplished through his servant. The museum is worth a visit!
Mom was extremely happy at Northern Baptist College (now Judson University) in Chicago where she spread her wings. In addition to studying for her major in Christian Education she sang in and accompanied choirs and small ensembles. She honed her organ mastery at the massive pipe organ in Moody Memorial Church. In biology class, she met the love of her life, Walter Phillip Francis. They married on June 13, 1953 right after mom graduated with her BA. Dad (Walter Francis) transferred to Aurora College, Aurora, Illinois to complete his Bachelor’s Degree and they lived in a converted Army barracks! Next came seminary for dad, so they moved back to Chicago for him to attend Northern Baptist Theological Seminary to earn his Master’s of Divinity. Mom worked at a large Chicago Insurance Company, and then as a preschool teacher for seminary student’s children after Deborah was born in 1954 because Deborah could go to work with her mom.
In 1957 Dad graduated from seminary, Joel was born on June 12, and Dad accepted a call to ministry at the Community Baptist Church in Laporte, Minnesota.
This was a tent-maker mission as Mom and Dad needed to work outside jobs in addition to ministering at the church. As a six-week old, Joel and family made the big 550 mile move to the northern reaches of Minnesota. Laporte is a small town near the headwaters of the Mississippi where the land is heavily forested, lakes are around every bend, and winter temperatures go below zero regularly. We lived near Garfield Lake where a church family owned a resort that they shared with us. Summer days were filled with swimming, boating (usually rowing), fishing, picnicking, and berry picking.
Our meals were plentiful and often adventuresome as church members gave us fresh produce, fish, venison, bear, fresh eggs and more. Mom and Dad planted a substantial garden near the parsonage with green beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet corn, potatoes and prize winning gladiolas. Mom won several blue ribbons at the Itasca County Fair for her gladiolas! Mom and dad kept busy–both taught school, ministered at the church and mom was the music director, pianist and organist as well. Joel and I had lots of teenage friends to babysit us, so our lives were full and fun.
In 1960 my dad joined the US Army, went to Officer’s School and was awarded a rank of 2nd Lieutenant; he was posted as chaplain in the Kalamazoo, Michigan Reserve Unit. Mom and dad packed us up and we moved to a nearby suburb, Parchment. Mom was elated to return to civilization and to be near excellent schools for Deborah and Joel.
Since Mom’s dad was now pastoring at the Wayside Evangelical Free Church in Plainwell, MI, we joined that fellowship and mom and dad assumed leadership positions, Mom as pianist and Sunday School teacher and Dad as Youth Minister.
True to their work ethic, both Mom and Dad continued their teaching careers at Parchment Public Schools (in addition to everything else), and they both eventually retired from Parchment where Mom taught middle school English. Mom started out as a substitute teacher, then co-taught with the principal at Barclay Hills Elementary while she enrolled at Western Michigan University to earn her M.A. in Language Arts and History Education.
Mom worked hard as a mother, church musician, teacher, caregiver to her parents, hostess, volunteer, and helpmeet to my dad. She also enjoyed traveling and visiting friends and loved ones all over the country. When Joel and I were kids we traveled every summer to wherever the Army stationed my dad for hospital chaplaincy work: New York, Texas, Colorado, and California. We also trekked to see relatives in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. Mom researched historical, epic and picturesque sites to experience, including, the New York World’s Fair; the homes of Nathanial Hawthorne, Edgar Allan Poe, Henry David Thoreau, John and Abigail Adams, Louisa Mae Alcott, the Bronte sisters, Monticello, The White House; Presidential Libraries; national parks–Great Smoky Mountains, Everglades, Grand Canyon, Rocky Mountains, and Yellowstone. In retirement Mom and Dad took several bucket list trips: Hawaiian Islands, Great Britain and Ireland, European Reformation Tour, Scandinavia and The Holy Land. They also visited Mark, Deb and kids often in Minneapolis and Ely, Minnesota. Mom and Dad loved the Ely cabin in the far north on beautiful Moose Lake and made that trip an annual event.
Mom loved her family and kept them in her heart and prayers all of her years. As long as she was able, she sent birthday cards to her nieces, nephews and their children and spouses. She helped to host and organize family reunions at Gun Lake, Portage, Minneapolis and Ely. We celebrated Mom and Dad’s 25th, 40th, 50th and 60th wedding anniversaries at big family reunions. We also joined relatives in locations such as Rico, Colorado, Lake Ontario, New York, Atlanta and Helen, Georgia, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Flagstaff and Phoenix , Arizona, Tampa, Florida and Cody, Wyoming. What a fun way to keep family ties close and vibrant.
Many hours were spent caring for, praying for and providing for her children and grandchildren. Mom loved to sh0p, especially when she found a “good deal!” We had hours of enjoyment browsing places like Shipshewana, Indiana Amish stores, Blueberry Festival Craft booths, Frankenmuth Christmas boutiques and Swedish shops wherever they could be found.
Christmas was Mom’s favorite holiday, replete with total house decorating, lights, music, baking, and Swedish specialities. Celebrations were lavish and festive. As kids, my cousin Judy and I would stuff ourselves with the tender, sweet, delicate cookies created by Mom and Dottie (her sister). Later, Mom was thrilled when I could source Swedish potato sausage, lignon berries, bond ost and meatball mix at Ingebretsen’s in Minneapolis because they use authentic Swedish ingredients.
Living in Michigan, Mom took advantage of the fresh fruits and vegetables from her backyard and local farms. We harvested rhubarb, tomatoes, green beans, apples and raspberries at home and utilized the U-Pick locations and fruit stands for peaches, blueberries, strawberries, and corn. I learned to “put up” peaches, tomatoes and applesauce, and to freeze blueberries, strawberries and rhubarb. Pie anyone?
Thank you, Mom, for giving of yourself to us and others in so many ways. You worked so diligently on earth, I hope for some heavenly rest for you.
The Virtuous Wife Proverbs 31: 10-31
“Who[a] can find a [b]virtuous wife?
For her worth is far above rubies.
The heart of her husband safely trusts her;
So he will have no lack of gain.
She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.
She seeks wool and flax,
And willingly works with her hands.
She is like the merchant ships,
She brings her food from afar.
She also rises while it is yet night,
And provides food for her household,
And a portion for her maidservants.
She considers a field and buys it;
From [c]her profits she plants a vineyard.
She girds herself with strength,
And strengthens her arms.
She perceives that her merchandise is good,
And her lamp does not go out by night.
She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
And her hand holds the spindle.
She extends her hand to the poor,
Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy.
She is not afraid of snow for her household,
For all her household is clothed with scarlet.
She makes tapestry for herself;
Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
Her husband is known in the gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land.
She makes linen garments and sells them,
And supplies sashes for the merchants.
Strength and honor are her clothing;
She shall rejoice in time to come.
She opens her mouth with wisdom,
And on her tongue is the law of kindness.
She watches over the ways of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children rise up and call her blessed;
Her husband also, and he praises her:
“Many daughters have done well,
But you excel them all.”
Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,
But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.
Give her of the fruit of her hands,
And let her own works praise her in the gates.”
We thank you, Mom, for living a Godly life and imparting your love of God to family and friends. We praise your sweet spirit even after the debilitating diabetic coma in 2010 caused significant brain damage and vascular dementia. We are grateful that you were able to create music on the piano and in song until the end.
Thank you, dear Heavenly Father, for our Mother and Grandmother. She encouraged us to be our best selves as she supported us with love and prayer.
May God bless you and keep you as His face shines upon the happy reunions that you are having with Dad, Dottie, Mel, Mark, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, in-laws and friends.
We miss you terribly. We miss your smile that would light up the room. God be with you ’till we meet again.
Love from your children,
Deborah Joy-Francis Holman
Joel Phillip Francis
