Marcia Anne Dyer Fess

Wife of Colonel Kenneth Byron Fess

Marcia's Father:

Brigadier General Jesse Farley Dyer,

United States Marine Corps (1877-1955)

For his "distinguished conduct in battle,"

he was awarded the Medal of Honor.

Jesse's parents:

Frank W. & Rachael Gibson Dyer

Marcia's Mother:

Nellie M Murphy Dyer (1880-1974)

Nellie's parents:

Ira F & Louise Julia Murphy

FESS, Marcia Anne Dyer

July 20, 1920 - January 20, 2009

Our beloved Marcia passed away peacefully on Tuesday, January 20, 2009 at the age of 88. She is survived by her children, Marcia Hanamura of Roseville, Kenneth and Kim Fess from Virginia, Kathryn and Ken Slusser from Oregon, and Elizabeth Mulrooney from Roseville. She will be missed by many family members including grandchildren, Darryl Hanamura (Coleen), Bruce Hanamura, Danielle Stempeck (Joe), Jennifer Jones (Jacques), Daneen Smith (Brad); great-grandchildren, Taylor Hanamura; Christopher Mulrooney; James, Joseph, Bella, and Johnna Stempeck; Jolie, Christopher Jones, and their brand new baby sister (1/21/09); her extended family, Kara, Brian, and Mara Mulrooney; Linda, Katelynn, James, and Katy Mulrooney; Anita and Tom Wilson; Christy and Al Gunter; Peter and Caroline Neushul.

Marcia was born on July 22, 1920 in Washington D.C. She was the daughter of a Marine Corps Officer and with her sister, Louise, she traveled to many places around the world. During the 30's, she lived in Shanghai, China where she met her good friend, Peg Pola. They remained friends throughout their lives and enjoyed many adventures together, keeping in touch even up to last week! She married Kenneth Fess of Torrance, California in 1941. He later joined the Army Air Corps in 1942. She moved frequently with her family around the United States and had the distinction of visiting all 50 states and over 45 foreign countries during her lifetime.

She made many friends on her journey through life and kept in close contact with them during her busy life. She worked for a time with local little theater groups and enjoyed painting in a variety of mediums. She bowled for many years and extended her group of friends and ''adopted'' family even more. She was very involved in her children's lives and could be counted on as a room mother, a Girl Scout Leader, a Sunday school teacher, or a teacher's aide. She shared her husband, daughter and son's love of barbershop music, supporting all of them in bringing music into the lives of thousands of people.

Marcia was multi-talented and quite handy with tools as well as a paintbrush. She loved to design and remodel houses and even make ''to scale'' models of her plans where she would move paper cut-out furniture around to make sure it would fit. She and Ken planned and built a family cabin at Serene Lakes that was a favorite family gathering place for many years. She mastered handling a log splitter, and was known to be able to fix anything with some duct tape or a sturdy bungee cord. Storytelling and reading Oz books were lifetime pleasures she shared with many. In later life she had a passion for jewelry making and could be counted on to create nifty earrings or fix a necklace or glasses.

A traveler all of her life, Marcia loved to share what she had learned with others. While living in the Southwest, she became quite knowledgeable about Indians and could often be found sharing that information with others. Trips to other countries, taking cruises down U.S. waterways, and sharing these experiences with those she loved were highlights in her life.

Marcia and Ken moved to Roseville almost six years ago. They made many new friends and extended their ''family'' to include both residents and caretakers at their new home. Our family would like to express our deep appreciation for the love and care that the staff gave to both of our parents during their time at The Palms.

All who knew her will miss Marcia. She will be interred with Ken at Arlington National Cemetery. A small Celebration of Life for family and friends was held on January 23. In lieu of flowers, donations made in Marcia Fess' name to The American Cancer Society would be appreciated.