Twin Oaks Memorial Gardens and Funeral Home

The ninth of eleven children, she was born in Milaca, MN to the late Egbert Peter (“Pete”) and Rosa Nyenhuis. A graduate of Unity Christian High School and Calvin College in Grand Rapids, MI, Marjorie earned a master’s degree at Western Michigan University, and pursued advanced graduate studies at Penn State University, Temple University, and Lehigh University. Marjorie spent most of her professional life as a teacher of English and speech. She was named Teacher of the Year at Kalamazoo Christian High School in only her second year of teaching, and was later nominated for Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year. In a career involving three public schools and two private academies, she also directed numerous plays, taught television production, coached women’s basketball, cross country and track and field, assisted with the marching band, coordinated yearbook productions, and directed a private school’s seven-day boarding program. Outside of school, Marjorie was a very successful distance runner, a voracious reader, and a published author. Marjorie joyfully filled an interlude between teaching jobs by serving as a child care worker at the Methodist Home for Children in Philadelphia, where she loved each child as if it was her own. This was an assignment she cherished and talked about in her final weeks. After her retirement from teaching, Marjorie partnered with her husband to distribute natural health care products, and later in managing a vacation rental business. They retired for good in 2012 and moved to Black Mountain, where they found what they sought: tolerance, peace and love. Throughout her life, Marjorie was grounded by faith and believed in putting her faith into action. She served in many church leadership roles, filled in for vacationing pastors, sang in church choirs, and wrote meditations for church publications. In her six ...