Marshall Nelson Kremers

Marshall Nelson Kremers (October 12, 1939 - September 16, 2013) Marshall Nelson Kremers, son of Marshall Yates Kremers and Eleanor March Kremers, was born in Pasadena, California on October 12, 1939.  He passed peacefully in Charleston, South Carolina on September 16, 2013 in the presence of loved ones.   A lay-leader at the United Methodist Church in Bluffton, SC, Marshall lived his life with the firm belief that all people are created equal, have equal potential and should be treated with equal love and respect.  A gifted athlete, intellectual and educator, Marshall had a passion for knowledge, understanding and hard work.  He knew much and shared with all.  Marshall earned his BA, and MA, at Colgate University in 1962, and his PhD in Rhetoric and Communications from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, in 1983.  Marshall began his teaching career at Granada Hills High School, in Granada Hills, CA.  He was a faculty member at Lassen County Community College in Susanville, CA from 1965 to 1980.  In 1983 he joined the faculty of New York Institute of Technology in Old Westbury, NY as an English professor where he pioneered "distance learning", or online classrooms, several years before widespread adoption of the internet.  He recently retired from his full-time teaching position at University of South Carolina, Bluffton. He enthusiastically shared his knowledge, whether in the classroom, at the pulpit, or hiking in the mountains.  His voice carried wisdom seldom heard, his thoughtful prose a deeply human touch. Through his poetry, sermons, and classroom instruction, Marshall's message carries on - when one loves, one has true humanity. Though dealt difficulties throughout his life, Marshall transcended the struggle and focused on educating, and learning.  His spirit never waned, his attitude was always positive.  Marshall is survived by his loving wife of twenty-five years, Paula Kremers, daughter Molly Kremers Williams (husband, Jeffrey), son Benjamin Montgomery Kremers, twin sister Margery (husband, John), brothers David (wife, Vicki) and Robert (wife, Maureen), grandchildren Kathleen Yates Williams and Tanner Benjamin Williams, stepson William Wagner, stepdaughters Susan Wagner and Wendy Bouse (husband, Cornell), and step-grandchildren Clint Van Nostrand Bouse, Bridgette Elizabeth Bouse and Nicole Rae Bouse. We know his beautiful soul will rest in peace for all eternity.  A memorial service will be held Saturday, September 28, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. at Bluffton United Methodist Church. Sauls Funeral Home of Bluffton is in charge of arrangements. In lieu of flowers, a memorial contribution can be made to the Bluffton United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 368, Bluffton, SC 29910.