Marjorie BonDurant

BOWERSVILLE — Marjorie (Brown) BonDurant, 94, formerly of Bowersville, went Home to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ on Saturday, November 25, 2023, at Bluebird Retirement Community in Marysville, OH. She will be sadly missed by her friends and family here, but there will be great rejoicing in heaven as she is reunited with her friends and family there in the presence of her Savior. Marjorie was born in Ohio County, Indiana to Jesse and Edna Brown, on February 8, 1929. They lived on a farm that adjoined Marion and Sadie Brown's farm (her aunt and uncle), and early in her childhood, Marjorie went to live with them and was raised by them. They have all preceded her in death, but the farm and her loving family taught her the values of hard work, kindness, generosity, and Christian faith, and these remained her core values throughout her life. When she left the one-room schoolhouse in the country to attend the "town" school in Rising Sun, Indiana, she met James BonDurant who became her husband on April 18, 1948. They enjoyed 55 years of marriage before his passing on April 22, 2003. Soon after their marriage, Jim felt a call to full-time Christian ministry, and Marjorie supported him through college, seminary, and several pastorates in the United Methodist Church. In 1968, they founded the BonDurant Agape Ministry and Jim began to serve God as a full-time evangelist. Marjorie supported him throughout his ministry as his most faithful prayer partner, secretary to the ministry, and devoted mother to their children. If you ever read anything Jim wrote, Marjorie had probably edited and corrected it! Second only to her love of Christ was Marjorie's love of Jim and their family. Together they raised 4 children, all of whom survive – Debby (Charlie) Calhoun of Millers, MD, Roger (Greta) BonDurant of Lexington, KY, Mark (Michele) BonDurant of Dayton, OH, and Lisa (Steve) Neal of Marysville, OH. Their family grew to include 9 grandchildren – Kristin (Jim) Voskuhl, Shannon (Dave) Aberts, Owen (Jessica) BonDurant, Heather Calhoun (who preceded her in death), Sarah (Jerry) McNeive, Adrienne BonDurant, Ben (Deborah) Neal, Stephanie (Jake) Wheeler, and Audrey (Jonathan) Cowherd. The addition of eleven great grandchildren brought her much joy in her later years as she enjoyed and adored each of them. Marjorie was also preceded in death by her three sisters, Naomi Hedden, Betty Walton, and Carolyn Baker, and by her five brothers Lloyd, Melvin, Denver, Clarence (Jake), and Lowell (Butch) Brown. Marjorie loved being part of this big family and enjoyed working together on the farm, as well as playing softball and basketball, and singing with her siblings. Marjorie will be remembered for many things – her faith in God and her prayers for others, her kindness toward and encouragement of everyone she met, her love of people and Kentucky basketball, her beautiful smile, and for the way she always signed her letters and cards – "God loves you and so do I". If the world only had more Marjories, it would be a kinder, more loving, and better place. The family would love to visit with those who knew and loved her at Neeld Funeral Home in Xenia, OH on Wednesday, November 29, from 5-7pm. A memorial service and celebration of her life will be held at Jamestown Presbyterian Church in Jamestown, OH on Thursday, November 30, at 11am, with the Rev. R. Michael Helling officiating. She will be buried alongside her husband at Woodlawn Cemetery in Bowersville, OH. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Jamestown Presbyterian Church, 61 W. Washington St., Jamestown, OH 45335, in her memory. Condolences may be made to the family at www.NeeldFuneralHome.com. When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be! When we all see Jesus, we'll sing and shout the victory! Victory is hers.