Marion L. Ahles, (nee Guenther), 107, of Springville, passed away peacefully with hugs on February 7, 2024.

She was born on Sept. 13, 1916 and is believed to be the oldest resident of Erie County. Marion was happily married for 63 years to the late John J. Ahles, who preceded her in death in 2003. 

Marion's life was one of resilience, love and unwavering positivity. She was one of the few who survived both the 1918 Spanish Influenza and also COVID-19. Orphaned at age two, she was later adopted and moved to the Springville area. She attended a one-room grade school where she met John, her future husband. Marion graduated from Springville-Griffith High School in 1934. During her high school days, she had to walk four miles to school and traverse Zoar Valley, thereby having to "walk uphill both ways to school." As a student she conceived and drafted a design which was adopted by the town of Springville for their water supply system.

Her industrious and confident spirit carried her through life. In their early married life, she and John enjoyed riding their Indian motorcycles. Marion opened her own beauty shop in Ellicottville; later worked at Curtiss-Wright in Buffalo as a machinist fabricating special order parts for downed P-40 aircraft in Europe during WWII – one of many proud "Rosie The Riveters" in Western New York; after the war, she owned and operated Mar-Len Upholstery Shop during the years that she raised her two children.

Marion immersed herself fully in everything she did from creative to technical endeavors. She was an accomplished artist and member of the local SAGA art guild, a seamstress who made her own patterns, a musician playing violin with the choir at St. Aloysius Church and a music tutor for her grandchildren. When Marion and John built their home, she completed the electrical work, plumbing and bricklaying herself – all of which passed inspection. She was an accomplished marksman, holding the title of Champion Lady Pistol Shooter of WNY for several years and, with John, taught NYS Safe Hunter training and helped create the Springville Rifle and Pistol Club. 

After retiring, John became known as "Johnny Appleseed" with his orchard of grafted apple trees. Every fall, students from The Children's League school came for tours and samples. Marion always served fresh apple cider and homemade cookies to the students and teachers. At age 97, she spent a month with family, sharing a camping trip across the U.S., visiting national parks, the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state and splashing her feet in the Pacific Ocean. At 99-years-old, Marion traveled with family to South Africa to visit relatives, spent several days photographing wild animals in the bush and taught an art class in Kruger National Park. To help celebrate her 100th year, she rode on a friend's Harley Davidson, an ATV and rode horseback. At 103, she was still enjoying camping, boating and attending the Erie County Fair. Marion was a proud member of the Nature Sanctuary Society of WNY, Concord Senior Club, Concord Historical Society, Springville Concord Garden Club and, for many years, a volunteer subject in a national research study, the Women's Health Initiative in the School of Public Health and Health Professions at UB. Marion's secret for a long life, "Just wake up every morning." Her final gift was the donation of her body to the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at UB. 

She was the loving mother of Donna (Calvin Luther) Schweikert and David (late Elaine) Ahles; loving grandmother to Rena (Geoffrey) Terwilliger, Jeannie (Gary Pollack) Padowski, Julie (Stuart Muller) Padowski, Nicholas (Megan Butler) Padowski and step-grandmother to William Schweickert, Brian (Jennifer) Schweickert, Bruce (Karen) Schweickert, Crystal Furman, Lauralee (Axel Ackerman) Sibiga, Cindy (Frank) Sparks, and Larry (Jackie) Luther. She is also survived by five great grandchildren, 14 step-great-grandchildren and dear nieces, nephews and friends.

Marion will be remembered for her willingness to help family, friends and her community, her positive attitude, eagerness to learn, her wiggle hugs and beaming smile.