Marian Grace Steele
Marian was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1926 to Herbert and Mildred (Zeidler) Ulp. She lived in both the city and surrounding suburbs throughout her childhood as her mother passed away when she was just a young girl. With her father and older sister Virginia she lived with family members as they all managed through the Depression. Still, she had fond memories of those times, especially when she recalled living at her beloved Saint Claire Shores house.
When she was in her early teens, Herb married Jesse Jean Brown, a strong-willed woman who had three teens of her own, Bill, Marie and Elaine. It was quite the household, a little of ahead of its time with all of the excitement (and some drama) of having a combined household of five teenagers as World War II erupted. Marian grew quite close to her stepmother, for although she was tough, she was particularly fond of Marian. She even baked a chocolate cake with green frosting for Marian's 15th birthday, upon request. Marian recalled that it probably pained her to carry out such a creation, as Jean was an accomplished baker.
At 19, Marian married Jim Green, an officer in the military. He was stationed in Germany in the late 1940s and early 50s. She loved the years she lived in Germany, especially since her beloved grandparents were German. She and her friends took trips all over Germany, Austria and Switzerland. One of her best memories was of visiting Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria which she always called "her castle."
Marian's first marriage ended in divorce. In the late 1950s Marian lived in Las Vegas, Nevada, making change for patrons at the Las Vegas Club. These were the early days of Las Vegas, when there were just a few small casinos in the middle of the desert. Many years later, in the 1990s, Marian was able to visit the Las Vegas Club, which is still in operation. What a change in 40 years!
In 1957 she moved to Long Branch, New Jersey and married John Steele in early 1958. They lived in Oceanport for 20 years, in the home that they loved, raising their daughter and enjoying the company of their next-door neighbors, the Sirianni's. Marian was a hardworking mother who also worked outside the home. She was a trained salesperson at several fine department stores. She also worked at an auto parts distributor, both in the accounting department and parts department for many years.
Her husband John passed away in 1999. After living on her own for a few years, Marian decided to make the cross-country move to Hillsboro, OR to be closer to her daughter. At age 76, in 2003, she shipped her furniture and boarded a train in NYC. She travelled alone but met many nice people on the train and had a grand adventure. She arrived at Union Station in Portland and began her new life in Oregon.
Marian lived in the Tarkington Square apartments in Hillsboro for five years. She loved the town of Hillsboro and enjoyed the shops, going to the post office and bank and chatting with local business owners when she had her coffee or lunch out. She loved to take the MAX all over and often made a day of it to ride the Blue line from one end to the other and back. Marian volunteered at Tuality Community Hospital and made many friends and acquaintances.
In 2008, she had several falls that required her to have surgery and leave her apartment. Marian lived for two years at Evergreen Health and Rehab in Hillsboro. In 2010 she moved to West Hills Health and Rehab in Portland, where she lived until her death. Marian was greatly loved by the staff there and by the team at Serenity Hospice who came to provide services for her in the last months of her life.
Marian was an artistic person and a very talented seamstress. She liked to paint (pictures and walls) and did beautiful metalwork, making ordinary tin cans into works of art. She loved music and enjoyed listening to the sounds of the Big Band era right until the time of her passing.
Marian finally succumbed to the symptoms of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a rare neurological disease. She was positive until the very end and her passing was graceful and beautiful. She is survived by her daughter Pat Steele Nielsen, son-in-law Dave Nielsen, daughter Kathy Green Fulcher and grandchildren Zach and AJ Fulcher, sisters Virginia Foxworthy and Marie Teeple, brother Bill Young, sisters-in-law Dorothy Stowman and Eileen Steele and many nieces and nephews. Her son Patrick preceded her in death in 1969.
The family asks that in lieu of flowers, please consider bringing a bouquet to a local nursing home or hospital or donate to
www.psp.org
. As per her request, Marian's ashes will be scattered over the island of Maui later this year.