Marion Virginia (Rawson)Vuilleumier died January 29, 2013. She was born October 12, 1918 in Worcester Massachusetts to parents Walter Alonzo Rawson and Mary Ethel (White) Rawson. Her sisters include Doris Ethel Morrarty of Germantown New York and Priscilla Eunice Tindall of Fort Lauderdale, Fl. Her brother is David Walter Rawson also of Ft. Lauderdale.
She moved to Danielson CT in 1926 where she attended local schools, graduating from Killingly High School in 1935. Marion graduated from Gordon College with a BA in Theology. She also studied at Boston University and Bridgewater State College.
On May 3, 1942 she married Rev. Dr. Pierre Vuilleumier, a United Church of Christ (Congregational) minister. They had pastorates in Woodstock Ct, Laconia NH and West Springfield MA. Her children are Lous Edward Vuilleumier of Cummaquid and Pierre DuPont Vuilleumier II of Los Angeles CA. A daughter, Virginia Marian (Vuilleumier) Lobo, Hockley died in 1997. Surviving also are a granddaughter Marion Olivia (Lobo) Whittemore, great granddaughter Lindsay Virginia Whittemore of Escondido, CA and Katie Berner of Yucca Valley, CA.
In 1960, she moved to West Hyannisport where her husband was appointed Southeastern Area Minister for the Massachusetts Conference United Church of Christ and Director of the Craigville Conference Center. Marion was Assistant Director of the Center and later Director of the Center when the number of churches grew and activities at the conference center increased.
Her professional career included work in the claims dept. of Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. in Boston; Christian Education Director at Wachogue Church in Springfield, First Congregational Church Westfield, Second Congregational Church Holyoke; and elementary school teaching in Holyoke and Marstons Mills. She was also an Adjunct Professor in the English Department of Cape Cod Community College for twenty years.
After moving to Cape Cod, she and her husband were involved in establishing housing projects. She was executive director for Cape Cod United Church Apartments in Falmouth, Mashpee United Church Village in Mashpee, Shawme Heights in Sandwich and Mayflower Placed in West Yarmouth as well as a consultant to Pine Oaks Village in Harwich. For 30 years she chaired the Committee on Housing Concerns for the Barnstable Association United Church of Christ.
Her writing career began at age 12 when she sold a short story to the Baptist Junior World for $ 5. Since then, she has published 20 books, edited four others, written many articles including a historical column for the magazine Prime Time. She also reviewed books for the Cape Cod Times for many years. She created four videos at C3TV and provided historical minutes for radio stations WCIB and WOCB.
She was a founder of the Cape Cod Writers Conference (now named Center) in 1963 and later was its’ executive director and a host of its television show, Books and the World. She taught writing workshops and was a consultant on writing and publishing.
Marion was active in historical work. She was the secretary of both the Town and County’s Barnstable National Bicentennial Commissions on both the Town and County’s 350th anniversary commissions. She was the past president of Tales of Cape Cod, Inc. and the past chair of the town of Barnstable Historical Commission. In 1981, she was elected a Fellow of the Pilgrim Society in Plymouth and has served as its Senior Fellow.
Some of her other community activities included being vice-president of the Board of Cape Cod Community Television (C3TV), a past chair of the Retired Senior Volunteer Program and a past president of Barnstable Church Housing, the advisory board at Mayflower Place.
Honors included; the Religious Heritage of America Award for the book, America’s Religious Treasures in 1976; American Association for State and Local History award for editing the book, Seven Villages of Barnstable in 1983; named Woman of the Year by Cape Cod Professional Women in 1987; one of 40 women honored at the National Synod United Church of Christ in 1987; Distinguished Service Award by the Historical Commission Town of Barnstable in 1987; Grand Marshall of the Yarmouth Seaside Festival in 1990; Honored for 30 years of work in housing by the Barnstable Association United Church of Christ in 1993; Awarded first prize by the National League of American Pen Women for a nationally published article in its 1993 national contest; names as One Of Twelve People who Matter by the Cape Cod Times in 1999.
Her memberships included; the South Congregational Church in Centerville, the Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants, the Alden Kindred of America, the Governor William Bradford Compact, the Twelve ‘Clock Scholars writing group, and the National League of American Pen Women in which she served both as a national officer and was twice president of the Cape Cod Branch. She also belonged to the Author’s Guild, the Authors League of America, the American Federation of Radio and Television Artists, the National Book Critics Circle and the National Alliance for Community Media.
A memorial service will be held on Sunday June 30, 2013 at 11am in the Tabernacle, Craigville Conference Center, 251 Lake Elizabeth Dr., Centerville MA 02636
In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory may be made to : Vuilleumier Fund c/o Craigville Conference Center, 39 Prospect Ave., Centerville MA 02632
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