Marian Louise Marksberry passed into her new life on January 17, 2021, at the age of 92. She was born October 27, 1928, in Owensboro, to the late Winnie Mae Franklin Bowman and John Guy Bowman.
Louise was a retired schoolteacher with the Daviess County school system and taught two years at Masonville Elementary and the remainder of her career at Philpot Elementary. She impacted many children and was a positive influence in their lives. In fact, one of her rowdier students sought her out in his adult years to tell her that he had accepted Christ and turned his life around. He told her that she was his most influential teacher. This was just one of her many students who would approach her throughout the years, telling her that she was their favorite teacher and what a profound influence she had on their lives.
She was a tough, quick-witted and engaging lady who will be sorely missed. To her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, she was their beloved Weezie, and they enjoyed spending time with her and Daddy Bill on the farm and later at their home in town.
Louise loved to sing, read, travel and play golf. She had the most beautiful soprano voice and would sing duets with her older sister, Betty, who sang alto. They sang at churches and even on the radio. Louise loved music and could often be heard humming a Broadway tune. She even sang “O Holy Night” with a resident at a local assisted living facility in 2018. When she was younger, she sang in the choir at First Baptist Church and again as a member of the Senior Adult Singers. Louise was a member of Bethabara Baptist Church since the early 1950’s and loved her many friends there.
After graduating from Owensboro High School, she attended Georgetown College for a few years. While home one summer, she met a silly boy staring and winking at her across the counter at Ferrell’s Restaurant. Louise never returned to college after that summer and obtained her MRS degree when she married that boy in the fall of 1950. They were married for 63 years. She had four children and was already teaching school when she went back to finish her teaching degree at Kentucky Wesleyan College and graduated in 1965.
In addition to her parents, Louise was preceded in death by her beloved husband, William H. “Bill” Marksberry; her sister, Betty Bowman; and her little brother, Bobby Bowman.
She is survived by four children, Nancy (Paul) Collins, Steve (Kim) Marksberry, Janie (Carl Ringwall) Marksberry, David (Tammy) Marksberry; her ten grandchildren, Becky (Andy) Fuller, Jon (Kristin) Collins, Maggie (Joel) Williams, Michael (Katie) Marksberry, Hannah (Nick) Stephen, Abbie (fiancé Will Sandbach) Roden, John (Amber) Ringwall, Julianne Ringwall, Taylor (Melissa) Hoffer, Andrea (Nathan) Logsdon; and sixteen her great-grandchildren.
A special thank you to her loving and dedicated caregivers and the nurses and other personnel at Hospice of Western Kentucky.
A private service will be held at Glenn Funeral Home and Crematory on Thursday, with burial in Owensboro Memorial Gardens.
All who attend the private services for Mrs. Marksberry shall be within current health and safety directives. Visitors shall wear personal protective masks and enter the doors near the flagpole on the Breckinridge Street side of the building.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests expressions of sympathy to take the form of donations to Bethabara Baptist Church, 2946 KY-142, Philpot, KY 42366; or Hospice of Western Kentucky, 3419 Wathen’s Crossing, Owensboro, KY 42301.
Memories and messages of condolence for the family of Louise Marksberry may be offered online at www.glenncares.com.