Marion (Barnes) Marsh

Marion Elliott (Barnes) Marsh, 96, of Ottawa Kansas died Tuesday, July 16, 2024 at Wellsville Health and Rehab in Wellsville, Kansas.

She was born December 29, 1927 in Kansas City, Missouri, the first daughter of Elliott Barnes and Marion (Kinman) Barnes.  Her parents moved to Ottawa Kansas a few years after she was born to their life-long home on South Hickory Street.  Marion grew up in Ottawa and graduated from Ottawa University and Kansas State University.

After graduating with her Masters degree from Kansas State University, Marion moved to Wichita, where she met Bob Marsh.  They were married on September 20, 1958 and built their life in Wichita Kansas over the next 40 years, raising two children, Robert and Kathryn.   

When their children were grown and had moved away from Wichita, Marion and Bob moved back to Ottawa, to a house on Hickory a block south of her childhood home.  They lived there the rest of their lives.  They were active in many projects in the Ottawa area, in particular Heritage Homes of Franklin County.   She was a member of the First United Methodist Church, Ottawa, KS.

Marion and Bob enjoyed each other during their 63 years of marriage.  We remember Marion as a true partner to her husband, Bob. Together, they not only formed a family, they also worked together and shared many interests and activities, including sailing in Wichita and spending time at Lone Star Lake.  They were active together in the communities where they lived and have left a lasting impact behind.

Marion is survived by her son Robert (Bob) Marsh of Kansas City, Missouri and his wife Heidi, and two grandchildren, Julia Marsh of Portland, Oregon, and David Marsh of Washington DC.   She is also survived by her beloved sister Martha Larson of Bellevue, Washington and her children and grandchildren. 

Marion was proceeded in death by her husband, Robert (Bob) Marsh and her parents, William Elliot Barnes and Marion Barnes, and a daughter Kathryn Ann Schafer.

Marion was an engaged mother, sister, friend and grandmother to her last days. We take comfort that she often remarked that she had a wonderful life and that she found pleasure in the simple joys of each day of her life. Marion recently reflected that, “Life is short and our place in the world is small,” but her place in our world was large and we will forever cherish the impact she had on our lives.

A graveside service will be held at 11 AM on Saturday, August 3 at Highland Cemetery, Ottawa, Kansas. At Marion’s request, the service will be a simple gathering around the memorial stone that she and Bob carefully chose together, just south of the graves of her parents.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Marion (Barnes) Marsh, please visit our floral store.