A MESSAGE FROM THE FAMILY

Family Tribute to Marjorie Anise Collier-June 12, 2023 By Lisa Janise Wilson Thank you for being here with us today. I am the first grandchild who called her NaNa. I knew her for 58 years and she taught me so many things. While I was asked to give her this tribute on behalf of my family, I am not special. She was so good at relationships and loving, that any of us could get up here and speak of who she was to us, what she taught us, how well she loved us. Mine is just a sampling of how God can spill out so much love on a person that it overflows onto others. As I’ve been reflecting on her impact of her love in my life, I am amazed at the impact of God’s love on just her one life. I learned this verse with her when I was very young: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him would not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 Her story is about a little girl and one big God. I want to tell you some things I know about this girl God so loved. He gave her to a couple who had been married for a bit and weren’t sure they could have kids. But, along came Marjorie Anise - and not too long after that was little brother, James Ralph. The four of them enjoyed a good life in Lowell, Arkansas. Her Mom and Dad were well known in this small town. In fact, both took turns serving as Postmaster. That’s what happens when a married couple stands on opposite sides of politics. You take turns, depending on who is president at the time and what party they serve. This little girl, growing up in a mutual respect of coexisting voices would later claim that it is more productive to pray for the current leader in office than to take a political side. When she was born, women’s suffrage was only six years old. She grew up taking her right to vote seriously. She would come to pray fervently for the leadership of 17 American presidents. For God so loved Marjorie that He gave her a handsome husband, who I would eventually call GaGa. In those World War II years, education was more accelerated for women. She graduated high school at 15 and went on to graduate from the University of Arkansas. At 18, this war bride married her soldier as soon as he returned from the war. I think this honeymoon was when she began laughing at the days to come. She told the story of how GaGa accidentally lost their car in flood waters. Apparently we’re really not supposed to drive through standing water. She said they just stood and watched it, tickled as could be, with nary a care of how she’d explain the water damage to her father’s car. After one glorious and hilarious honeymoon, she became a Mom to Jane Ann at 19. Within 2 years, not only would she have the joy of welcoming my Uncle Bob to the family, she would also have the sorrow of burying both parents before she turned 22. For those of us who knew her as such a woman of strength and resilience, I say no wonder! She had experienced more life and death than most of us do in a lifetime when she was so very young. Her marriage to my grandfather was quite a sight to behold. For 57 years, they built a life together with 2 kids and 2 careers. My grandpa was a Minister of Music in various Southern Baptist churches throughout his career. She would support him wherever he needed – in the soprano section of the choir, on the organ or piano bench playing for those hymns he took at quite a clip. She helped in children’s choirs, on mission trips, at church music camp and they had fun serving together. In turn, when she was a principal, he would drive her to school, helping her with whatever she needed to be the successful leader she was, driving her, supporting her. He even took computer classes so he could more efficiently form budgets and create newsletters. They also traveled together, sometimes alone, sometimes with friends or family. Marriage was really just one long date with those two, with a lot of laughing on the side of the road, until 20 years ago when he began his eternal life. In the years without him, she continued to minister with purpose. She continued to sing soprano, work in the children’s choirs and teach Sunday School as long as she was able. She did a lot of laughing and enjoying life with us. She relied on the love of her Lord in those lonely days of widowhood. She found joy in travel, family, friendships, and she maintained a life of service, even without GaGa by her side. For God so loved Mrs. Marjorie Collier that He gave her the gift of teaching. She was a teacher by trade and by lifestyle. She touched the lives of many students and teachers through the years. Now, there were things she never learned to do, like wash and style her own hair. She was a once a week beauty shop gal, and we all knew not to splash her if we were in a lake or pool. She wasn’t a swimmer, but she was a joiner, like at her brother’s lake house or in a hot tub. She also never learned to navigate geographically with the same ease others seem to have. She and I shared the same struggle of lacking a good sense of direction. We together formed the “North is Up” club, in the innocent hope that reading a map would ever really do us any good. She never stopped learning or being curious. She learned to check her email and work her ipad when she needed to. She also kept up with current events, reading the Kansas City Star every morning and working the crossword puzzle faithfully. She was a lifelong student, which is probably why she was such a wonderful teacher. For God so loved NaNa, that he filled her quiver with a bunch of us. We all have our stories, our memories, our sweet times with her. My sister and I each got to be the rare grandma with a grandma, in the center of five generations. She showed us how it’s done. Our children and grandchildren are blessed to have known such a virtuous woman. We will keep her known to them through our stories and memories of her. So, this is what happens when God so loves a little girl. No one is promised an easy life, in fact, we will suffer and experience things on this earth that could crush us. But God so loves us that He not only gave us his Son to give us eternal life, He gave us to each other, to carry His love around and enjoy it until we join Him again. What a beautiful vessel of love she was to us. If he can do that much through His love in one little girl, what might he do with each of us, if only we spill his love onto each other. Her story, that’s all it is. One God, and one girl who said “Yes” to him. She was and is God’s Yes-girl. Her impact in my life makes me want to say Yes to him again and again, to lead where He follows - until my last breath - when I join him. May we all be so inspired to say yes to a God who so loves us. This is what I think happens when you go to heaven. After you get processed, Jesus takes you by the hand and you go off by yourselves, perhaps to a garden, and you have a little talk. Meanwhile, a few selected citizens have received an invitation with a time to be picked up by a limo at such and such time. I think I know who got the special invite this time. I think when GaGa got in the limo and saw his brother-in-law, he got a sneaking suspicion. Then, when they picked up my great grandma, and then my great grandpa, he got even more excited with each stop. Maybe she’s here now, he thinks. When they got out of the limo and all got ushered into the front row of the huge arena, he got that old familiar fluttery feeling he used to get before she’d walk into a room, back when they were dating. Then there she finally is. Jesus leads her through the side door and out into the middle of a huge arena and there’s a huge cheer. There sits every person who God ever used to nurture her spiritual journey here on earth. Every Sunday School teacher, every friend, every relative and every person God ever used her to reach for Him. All those who went before her, patiently waiting. Jesus leads her to the front row to sit with her one-and-the-same best friend and husband, her beloved brother, and her sweet parents whom I never had the pleasure of meeting. During all the joyful hugging, Jesus takes his throne in the center of the arena, at the right hand of God. There together, surrounded by a cloud of witnesses, she worships at the actual feet of Jesus for the very first time, having no less days to sing God’s praise, now that she’s first begun. And so it begins. Eternal life. For God so loved me, that He gave me a front row seat to a life well lived and a girl well loved. She will, no doubt, be on the front row of the worship arena after Jesus and I have our little talk. The next few days and weeks and months are going to be sad without her in our family. We’ve grown quite accustomed to her presence with us. Yet, I am profoundly comforted at the thought of her enjoying her mansion, likely with blue walls sitting on a plot of land right next door to GaGa’s, where he's been growing beautiful roses on the side of the house that’s adjacent to hers. Yet, we will miss her just as profoundly as we are comforted by where she is now. NaNa was like our Golden Girl. She was a hospital volunteer like Rose was a candy striper and told lots of stories. She was fancy like Blanche, yet walked a much higher moral ground in her dating life. She was like Sofia in that she said and did exactly what she wanted and lived closely with her daughter Dorothy who saw after her. I really think one of the reasons we had her for so long is because Mom and Dad took such good care of her when NaNa’s independence required more dependence. Mom will need her friends and I know you will be there for her as you always have been. We bid you goodbye for now, our fancy, strong, story- telling Golden Girl, who said Yes to God again and again. Until we meet again: Thank you for being a friend. Traveled down the road and back again. Your heart is true. You’re a pal and a confidante. And if we threw a party, invited everyone you knew, You would see the biggest gift would be from me and the card attached would say: Thank you for being a friend.

OBITUARY

Marjorie A. Collier

Name: Mt Moriah, Newcomer & Freeman Funeral Home
Address: Kansas City, MO

June 25, 1926 – June 7, 2023

IN THE CARE OF

Mt. Moriah, Newcomer and Freeman Funeral Home

Marjorie Anise Collier, 96, of Kansas City, Missouri, began her eternal life on her wedding anniversary, Wednesday, June 7, 2023, at KC Hospice House.

Visitation will be Monday, June 12 at 10:00 a.m., followed by 11:00 a.m. Celebration Service at Connection Point Church, 10500 East State Rte 350, Raytown, MO 64138. She will be privately laid to rest at Mount Moriah Cemetery, I-435 and Holmes Road., Kansas City, Missouri.

Mrs. Collier was born June 25, 1926 in Lowell, AR to Harrison and Canda (Pharris) Smith. She graduated from the University of Arkansas, Texas Christian University (Masters) and University of Missouri-Kansas City (Education Specialist). She was named Woman of the Year twice by America Business Women’s Association (ABWA). Most of her teaching career was for Kansas City Missouri Public Schools at Carlisle and Pitcher Elementaries. Her favorite role was as Principal of Sugar Creek Elementary French Magnet School. She traveled to Canada, Belgium and Cameroon, Africa to recruit teachers. In retirement, she served as volunteer at Research Medical Center, MOPS Mentor, graded choir worker and soprano section leader of the Celebration Choir.

Marjorie is reunited in Glory with her parents, husband Robert E. Collier, Jr., brother Dr. James Ralph Smith and a host of family, friends and pets she adored.

Marjorie is survived by daughter, Dr. Jane Ann Welch and husband, Warren of Kansas City, MO; son, Robert E. Collier, III of Kansas City, KS. She was “NaNa” to grandchildren, Lisa Wilson, Lori Hammons, Darren (Kathi) Welch, Robert Keith (Monica) Collier and Brooke Collier; and great grandchildren, Gregori Hammons and Malori (Julian) Godinez, Joseph, LeeAnn and James Wilson, Dayton and Hudson Collier, and Eva and Iris Rupert; and great great grandchildren, Heidi Pfeifer, Sayge and Jayse Godinez and Logan Wilson. She is also survived by several nieces, nephews, cousins and in-laws. She will be missed by all of us.

Contributions may be made in her memory to the Celebration Choir of Connection Point Church or the Kansas City Hospice House.

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FAMILY

Harrison SmithFather (deceased)

Canda (Pharris) SmithMother (deceased)

Robert E. Collier, Jr.Husband (deceased)

Dr. James Ralph SmithBrother (deceased)

Dr. Jane Ann Welch (Warren)Daughter

Robert E. Collier, IIISon

Lisa WilsonGrandchild

Lori HammonsGrandchild

Darren Welch (Kathi)Grandchild

Robert Keith Collier (Monica)Grandchild

Brooke CollierGrandchild

Gregori HammonsGreat-grandchild

Malori Godinez (Julian)Great-grandchild

Joseph WilsonGreat-grandchild

LeeAnn WilsonGreat-grandchild

James WilsonGreat-grandchild

Heidi PfeiferGreat-great-grandchild

Sayge GodinezGreat-great-grandchild

Jayse GodinezGreat-great-grandchild

Logan WilsonGreat-great-grandchild

Dayton CollierGreat-great-grandchild

Hudson CollierGreat-great-grandchild

Eva RupertGreat-great-grandchild

Iris RupertGreat-great-grandchild

DONATIONS

Celebration Choir of Connection Point Church, 10500 E. State Rte 350, Raytown, MO 64138

Kansas City Hospice House 12000 Wornall Road, Kansas City, MO 64145

Services

No services are scheduled at this time. Receive a notification when services are updated.

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