Mariel was born on October 3, 1938, in Colorado Springs, to Verle and Martha (Townley) Deniston. She grew up in Orchard Mesa and graduated from Grand Junction High School. She was a resident of Grand Junction for over 65 years. Mariel married her sweetheart, Carl Speakman, on August 28, 1959, in Grand Junction. She was a homemaker and attended the Church of Christ in Clifton. In her free time, she loved riding her bike, working in her flowerbeds, sewing quilts but most of all enjoyed spending time with her family and doing things with her grandchildren.
Mariel is survived by her husband, Carl Speakman of Grand Junction; sons, Monty Speakman of Sands Springs, Oklahoma, and Ricky Speakman of Casper, Wyoming; daughters, Selena Crespin of Grand Junction, and Lisa Kerr of Littleton, Colorado; her brother, Delroy Deniston of California; 11 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild. She was preceded in death by her parents; sisters, Vieva and Lila; her brother, Elmer; and her grandson, Alexx.
A visitation will be held in the Grand Junction Memorial Gardens mausoleum on Saturday, December 21, 2024, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., with a graveside service following at 1:00 p.m.
