MARIE SHURMANTINE

Marie Frances (Schultz) Shurmantine passed away Sunday, Aug. 24, 2014, at the home of her daughter, Lori and Dave Vorbeck, of Raytown, Mo. She died quietly, surrounded by her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. Marie was 94. A child of immigrant parents, Marie lived a dramatic and eventful life. She survived the Great Depression, a childhood spent in orphanages, the Ruskin tornado, the death of her beloved husband, the deaths of two dearly-loved sons, Kent and Drew, and the death of her grandson, Geoffrey. Through all this turmoil she never lost her faith in God or her fundamentally positive outlook on life; she never ceased caring for others or thinking incessantly of the needs of others. She remained strong, smart, opinionated, and independent to the end. Marie had happy memories of her friends and times at Redemptorist Grade School and High School, where she graduated in 1937. During World War II she worked as an Executive Secretary at a small war plant. Following the war she married Donald Holt Shurmantine of Lexington, Mo. They had four children, Kent, Drew, Brad, and Lori, before Don was killed in a car accident in 1957. To raise her four children, Marie went to work in the Computer Programming Dept. of the Bendix Corporation, where she remained for 21 years before retiring in 1983. The rest of her life she devoted to her children and grandchildren, her family and friends, and her parish, St. Catherine's. Marie is survived by her son, Drew's wife, Pam, and their two sons Bradley and Gifford; her son, Brad and wife Mary of Napa, Calif., and their daughters Kara and Alea; and her daughter, Lori and husband Dave and their children Collin, Brandon, Kevin, Erin, Megan, and Caitlin. She is also mourned by her six great- grandchildren, Emerson, Cooper, and Sawyer (children of Erin and Steve Bales); and Addy, Greyson, and Griffen (children of Brandon and Amy Vorbeck). Marie died before she could welcome and love her seventh great-grandchild, Mabrie Marie, daughter of Megan and Mike Moll. A visitation honoring Marie's memory will be 6 to 8 p.m. Wed., Aug. 27, at Our Lady of the Presentation Catholic Church, Lee's Summit. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 28, at Our Lady of the Presentation. She will be buried in Mt. Olivet Cemetery next to her husband, Don. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the National Organization for Rare Disorders www.rarediseases.org Arr.: McGilley Midtown Chapel, 20 W. Linwood, KCMO, (816) 753-6200. Condolences may be made at www.mcgilleymidtownchapel.com McGilley Midtown Chapel, 20 W Linwood Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64111, 816-753-6200 www.mcgilleymidtownchapel.com