Obituary: Marlene Delores Summerfield, 80

Marlene Delores Summerfield passed from this life peacefully May 23, 2014, under the compassionate care of the staff at Country Villa healthcare of Quincy. Her family was at her side.

Marlene was born in Olympia, Wash., on July 16, 1933, to the late Washington natives Clyde and Lena (Ellis) Webber. She was raised and educated in Wrangell, Alaska, where she graduated high school as a member of the Class of 1951. Following her graduation, she returned to the lower 48 to seek employment.

In 1964, Marlene moved to the northeastern California lumber community of Chester and met the love of her life, Carl Summerfield. The couple was married on Jan. 4, 1966, and relocated to Southern California in 1972 before returning to Plumas County and residing in Quincy.

Marlene was a devout member of the Seventh Day Adventist faith where she was active in the church’s missionary field with a special place in her heart for children in need.

She served her community through her church and was a dependable volunteer with the Plumas Animal Welfare Society (PAWS). Marlene was a feline lover and cared for orphaned kittens in all stages of

development. At one time, she had 23 orphaned kittens in her home. Both PAWS and her church counted on her baking skills for fundraising events.

In passing, Marlene leaves her loving husband of 47 years, Carl, of Quincy, Calif.; son, Michael of Quincy; daughter, Allena Sanders, of Chester, Calif.; daughter, Narda Jimenez of Portland, Ore.; sister Mary Benitz on the Stikine River (where Marlene spent the first few years of her life, not far from her grandfather

Charles B. Ellis’ homestead, before moving to Wrangell); niece, Brenda Schwartz-Yeager of Wrangell; and her five grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

Marlene is preceded in her passing by her brother, Charles (Skip) McKibben and niece, Rhonda Jean of Wrangell.

The family asks that any remembrances for her be made to St. Frances Animal Rescue P.O. Box 832, Wrangell, Alaska 99929.

A celebration of Marlene’s life is being planned for a later date.

 

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