Marie Evelyn Willis

Willis Marie Evelyn, age 92, of Spring Park, on March 14, 2002. Preceded in death by parents, Clyde and Matilda Edwards; sister, Dorothy Jacobsen; and husband, Donald Robert Willis. Survived by son, Bruce (Elizabeth) of Plymouth, and daughter, Susan (Roger) Vallie of Goodyear, AZ; grandchildren, Dr. Elizabeth (Keith) Carsten of Oro Valley, AZ, Robert (Stacie) Weyrauch of Mesa, AZ, Andrew Willis of Northfield, and Ellen Willis of Stanford, CA; and great-grandchildren, Carlie and Isaac Weyrauch. Born in Arkansaw, WI on November 6, 1909; graduated valedictorian of a class of 11 from Arkansaw High School in 1928 (her family enjoyed pointing out that she finished 11th from the bottom of her class); received a teaching certificate from Eau Clarie Normal School (now U-W, Eau Claire) in 1930 and began a teaching career that spanned most of the next 45 years. Before her marriage, Marie taught at elementary schools in Medford, WI and Mason City, IA. When her own children were old enough to go to school, Marie returned to teaching and taught at elementary schools in Long Lake and Maple Plain. She ended her career as the teacher at Evergreen Grove School near Loretto, the last one-room country school in Hennepin County, where she taught kindergarten through eighth grade. Marie loved her students and they her; she remained in contact to the time of her death with former students at each of her schools, including several who were in her first and second-grade class in Medford nearly 70 years ago. Marie enjoyed bird-watching, gardening, cooking, and handcrafts. She was a gentle, loving person who will be greatly missed by her family and everyone else who knew her. Memorial service at 11:00 am on Saturday, March 30, in the Wakefield Chapel of WAYZATA COMMUNITY CHURCH, 125 East Wayzata Boulevard, Wayzata. Memorials preferred to Presbyterian Homes on Lake Minnetonka.

Published on March 19, 2002