Marge Willhite

Anna Margaret "Marge" Willhite, 86, of Ottawa, Kansas passed away January 21, 2016 at Hospice House at Olathe Medical Center, Olathe, Kansas. Marge was born in rural Princeton, KS, August 17, 1929, the daughter of Byron Roth Robison and Birdene (Hoffman) Robison. Marge was a lifelong Franklin County resident living in the Princeton area and Ottawa until 1952. In 1952, she and her husband Glenn moved to a farm 5 miles south of Wellsville. In 2007, she moved back to Ottawa where she has lived since. She attended the Acorn Grade School in rural Princeton; she then attended Princeton High School and was a 1947 graduate of Williamsburg High School. She attained a B.S. in Biology in 1951 from Ottawa University, a Masters in Biology from Kansas University in 1969, a Masters in home Economics from Kansas State University in 1980, and attended Kansas State Teachers College to attain her teaching certification. Marge was a devoted secondary teacher to the children of Kansas. She taught one year at Lane High School, Lane, KS, four years at Pomona High School, Pomona, KS, half year at Gardner Junior High, Gardner, KS, and was a beloved teacher at Wellsville High School, Wellsville, KS, for twenty-seven years, retiring in 1994. On January 20, 1951, Marge was united in marriage with Charles Glenn Willhite at the First United Methodist Church, Ottawa. Glenn and Marge had a very loving relationship. They first met when she was in second grade and he in third at the Acorn School they attended together. They shared 53 years of marriage until Glenn's death on May 7, 2004. She is also preceded in death by her parents; son, Michael Glenn Willhite; infant daughter, Susan Linna Willhite; and brother, Wayne Lewis Robison. Marge is survived by a son, Paul Willhite and his wife, Renee, of Overland Park, KS; two daughters, Karen Stodter and her husband, Charles, of Emporia, KS, LeAnn Zingre and her husband, Rick of Fort Scott, KS; daughter-in-law, Kristi Laing and her husband, Clint, of Lawrence, KS; two brothers, John Robison and his wife, Martha, of Chickasha, OK, Dean Robison of Hutchinson, KS; sister, Rea Weigand of Ottawa, KS; Sister-in-law, Carol Robison, Hutchinson, KS; eight grandchildren, Katie (Willhite) Young, Betsy (Willhite) Ostrander, Sandra Stodter, Sarah Stodter, Lauren Zingre, Erin Zingre, Chad Willhite, Leah Willhite; and five great- grandchildren, Connor, Annie and Shepherd Young, Marty and Will Ostrander. The family will meet with friends from 6-8 p.m. on Wednesday, January 27, 2016 at the Lamb - Roberts Funeral Home in Ottawa. Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m., Thursday, January 28, 2016 at Wellsville United Methodist Church. Burial will follow at Highland Cemetery, Ottawa. The family suggests memorial contributions to Wounded Warriors, Doctors without Borders, Wellsville United Methodist Church, or Hospice House at Olathe Medical Center c/o Lamb-Roberts Funeral Home, P.O. Box 14, Ottawa, Kansas 66067. Condolences may be sent to the family through www.lamb-roberts.com. To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Marge Willhite please visit our Sympathy Store.

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