Marjorie Marie Graham

"My Margie"

It is with great sorrow that I am announcing the tragic loss of my partner, my better half, the love of my life, simply put "My Margie". Even though she fought it with dignity and grace for the last three years, she was sadly taken by the unforgiving curse of ovarian cancer. I am so honored to say that we had stood side by side for over twenty years and during that wonderful time in my life we had never been apart for more than two days.

I wish to share how extraordinary a person she truly was and how her and I came together. She was from Long Beach California, where she was painting murals for the rich and famous. At that time, I was restoring saddles for the Long Beach Mounted Police Patrol. The Patrol flew me out there and introduced us and it was love at first sight! With in a month, she had completely moved to Missouri and the rest, as they say, is history.

She was that one special gift in this world that made it so wonderful to be alive. She had that rare ability to melt the "hardest of hearts" when they meet her, the same as if they had viewed the smile of a new born baby for the first time. She was that cool breeze on a hot summer day, she was the golden colors in a breath-taking sunrise, the joy you experienced by opening up your first Christmas present, the joy you feel by simply laying in the tall grass watching the marvelous clouds go rolling by, oh yes, these are just a few of the ways she was special, rare and unique. She was the extraordinary, in a sea of the ordinary.

She was a world class artist, a master of master's silver engraver, a true genius and yet it never went to her head. By the time we had met, she had already visited over 30 different countries around the world, which meant she could always bring a different perspective to any problem. Unlike so many people we know, she never cared about the accumulation of power, money or status in the community. Please heed my advice from someone who knows, in the end, none of these material things will mean a thing when your times comes.

Success in life meant many different things to Margie. She found success in doing her very best at any task she was given, knowing that regardless of what life would throw her way she would know she was loved and had someone who would stand right beside her through it all till her last breath. To her success also came in the form of being able to enjoy the heartwarming twinkle in a puppy's eyes, the beautiful fascination of a shooting star, viewing the breath-taking rainbow colors of butterflies, being able to enjoy the various all inspiring flowers that bloomed every spring and the precious gift of watching the countless trees grow that she had planted through the years.

She loved the Lord with all her heart and soul and it gives me such untold comfort in my heart to know the Good Lord will forever take care of her and she will suffer no more as she will be watching over us from the heavens above.

She will be missed but I know in my heart her spirit will live on forever with all who were fortunate enough to have ever meet her.