Marilyn Hardberger Austin

Austin, Marilyn Hardberger Died in Dallas on February 19, 2009. She was born on August 5, 1922, in Nashville, Tennessee, the only child of two loving parents, Lawrence and Emma Hardberger. She spent her early years in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Her family later settled in Dallas, where Marilyn graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School. She studied at Southern Methodist University, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree and was a member of Delta Gamma sorority. While at Woodrow Wilson, she was introduced to Earl B. Austin, a Dallas native and all-state athlete at North Dallas High, following a football game between the two archrivals. She recalled hearing during the game that Earl had been penalized for "clipping" and, ignorant of the rules of football but thinking that the infraction sounded particularly awful, she was scandalized and said she wanted nothing to do with him. He pleaded for a second chance and she relented, and they dated throughout high school until he left to play football at the University of Texas. They continued to correspond after he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps at the outbreak of World War II, and exchanged many letters during the three years he served as a bomber pilot in North Africa and Europe. Upon his return, they married. Earl became an exploration petroleum geologist and oil company executive, and traveled all over the world in his work. They were happily married for forty-seven years and had a daughter, Cindy, and two sons, Earl and Jim. Marilyn was a successful author and editor. Her career began one day in the late 1960s, when she retrieved an old, dusty typewriter from the attic and wrote a short story for her church newsletter. Other stories, and eventually novels, followed. Her early works were written for children and young adults and drew heavily upon her experiences as a mother. She also wrote a popular series of novels for teenage girls, each book featuring as its heroine a young woman making her way in a different profession. The series became a fixture in junior high school libraries across the country in the 1970s and served as early inspiration for a generation of professional women. She later turned her talents to historical fiction and mystery novels, and was a long-time member of the Mystery Writers of America, an organization of published mystery writers. Her published works include thirteen novels and numerous short stories, and her writing has been translated into more than a dozen languages. She did post-graduate work in professional writing at Oklahoma University, and taught workshops on professional writing and publishing for many years. Even after retiring from her own writing, she continued to work as an editor of mystery novels well into her seventies. Following her husband's death in 1993, Marilyn was active in the Dallas Widowed Persons Support Group, serving as editor of its newsletter and three terms as Secretary of the Board of Directors. She also was a member of Highland Park United Methodist Church, where she volunteered in the library and was a frequent speaker and active participant in the 2 X 2 bible study class and the Rejebian Book Reviews. She also was a member of several bridge and book clubs. She formed many close and enduring friendships through these activities, which filled her final years with much love, joy and laughter. Marilyn was a loving wife, mother and friend, gracious and intelligent, with a keen sense of humor, quick wit and an independent spirit. She is survived by a daughter and two sons, Cindy Holbrook of Fort Worth, Earl B. Austin of Dallas and James L. Austin of Wylie, Texas, as well as five grandchildren, Elizabeth Austin, Philip Austin, Alexandra Austin, Brett Austin and Grace Austin. A family memorial service was held in Cox Chapel at Highland Park United Methodist Church on February 24, 2009. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to a charity of the donor's choice.