Marilyn Neie

WEST LAFAYETTE. Marilyn Jones Neie, 81, passed away after an extended illness on April 20 at University Place in West Lafayette. She was born Sept 7, 1940 in Pampa, Texas, to the Rev Lloyd Jones and Jessie Stell Jones. Her father's ministerial appointments resulted in moves to Amarillo and Floydada, Texas while still in elementary school. A final ministerial appointment was Greenland Hills Methodist Church in Dallas when Marilyn was just starting junior high school. In 1959 she graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School, where she was a Rangerette and worked on the high school yearbook staff. In the fall of '59 she enrolled in McMurry College (now McMurry University) in Abilene, Texas, where she participated in many activities, among which were assistant to the art professor, service clubs and pledged the Delta Beta Epsilon sorority. While at McMurry, she met her future husband, Van Neie. When he graduated and went to Kansas University to pursue a graduate degree in physics, she followed him and finished her senior year at KU, graduating with a degree in elementary education. They married on June 29, 1963 in Dallas, with her father officiating. Van transferred to North Texas State University in Denton, Texas to complete his Master's degree and Marilyn began her first teaching job in Garland, a suburb of Dallas. During this time she completed a Master's Degree in Elementary Counseling. In 1967, she taught fourth grade at Sable Palm Elementary in Tallahassee, Florida, while Van pursued his PhD studies in Science Education at Florida State University. Their daughter, Melissa, was born during this time. Upon completion of his PhD, Van secured a position at Purdue University and Marilyn decided to focus on at-home care for their daughter and a year later their son, Daniel, was born. In 1977, the family spent a year in Denton, Texas, where Van was involved in sabbatical work at North Texas State. Marilyn took advantage of this opportunity to take course work in Library Science and when they returned to Purdue the following year, she completed the coursework necessary to obtain an Elementary Library teaching license. She was quickly hired as the children's librarian at Klondike Elementary School, where she remained for twenty years before retiring in 2000. She was dearly loved by the children and the staff and very frequently after her retirement, she would encounter former students, many of them grown, with families, and would be greeted with "You were my library teacher and I can still remember how you used to read to us and tell us stories." Marilyn was a masterful storyteller and she, along with Van, participated for several years in the Tippecanoe Story Tellers Guild. Prior to a mission trip to Zimbabwe she was given a Lilly grant to record elementary students telling their favorite stories, some in English and others in their native Shona language. After retirement, she volunteered at the Tippecanoe County Public Library, helping with the sorting of books in preparation for the annual book sale.
Van and Marilyn did extensive traveling, both foreign and domestic. She especially loved all things American Indian related and their home is filled with many art pieces from the Southwest. She so dearly loved mountains and they spent considerable time in the West, enjoying the scenery while camping in their travel trailer. Marilyn was active in St Andrew United Methodist Church for over 45 years, singing in the choir, teaching Sunday school and serving on various committees, her favorite being the Missions Work Area.
Preceding her in death were her parents and an older brother, Bobby Lloyd. She is survived by her husband and two children, Melissa Eddy (Rob) and Daniel (Steffany) along with six amazing grandchildren.
A Celebration of Life event will be held at St Andrew United Methodist on May 7 at 11:00 AM, with visitation at the church from 9:30 AM until the service begins.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her memory to the National Humane Society or to St Andrew Church. Share memories and condolences online at www.hippensteelfuneralservice.com