Marion Hazel Buss

Marion (Tall) Buss, 82, passed away November 8, 2025, in Big Rapids, MI.
Born in rural Caribou, Maine, on July 15th, 1943, Marion was the third of Axel and Verna (Hjelm) Tall's five red-headed daughters. She was a graduate of Caribou High School and Bethel College in St. Paul, Minnesota where she received her degree in Biology. Later, she earned her teaching certificate.
Marion spent a happy childhood outdoors on her father's potato and dairy farm in Northern Maine. She loved driving the tractor, climbing trees, swinging on a rope in the hay loft, and giving her parents gray hair by climbing up the roof of their large barn.
It was at Bethel College that Marion met Jack Buss while playing frisbee. Jack was on the college football team, while she played percussion in the pep band. Marion especially enjoyed striking the cymbals when Jack kicked off the ball. Always active, Marion worked as a lifeguard and was on the synchronized swim team.
In 1965 Marion and Jack married and moved to Ecorse, Michigan, where she taught Physical Education and swimming, while Jack completed his Masters Degree at Wayne State. Later, they moved back to Minneapolis where Marion taught High School biology until their daughter Christine was born. After a stop in Liberty, Missouri, where their second daughter Katherine was born, Marion and Jack moved to Big Rapids in 1975.
While Jack taught Biology at Ferris State College, Marion focused on raising their daughters. They were members of Fellowship Christian Reformed Church for many years, where she taught Sunday School and helped to organize the Church Library. She enjoyed all sorts of crafts, from cross stitching to cake decorating, and loved being outdoors, gardening or cross-country skiing. Always proud of her Swedish Heritage, she enjoying making Swedish meatballs and her mother's rice pudding for holiday meals.
In 1987, Marion resumed her education career at Big Jackson School, a one room schoolhouse in rural Mecosta County. She loved taking her students on field trips, out sledding on the playground, flying kites or playing with a parachute for PE.
After retiring in 2003, Marion earned her Master Gardener certificate and was active in the Big Rapids Garden Club. In 2017, Jack and Marion moved to a retirement community in Belfast Maine, where Marion was renowned for her bocce ball and corn hole skills. In 2025, they moved back to Big Rapids, and resided at The Fields Assisted Living.
She is survived by her loving husband Jack, daughters Christine Buss of Rockland, Maine, and Katherine Hoving (Christopher) of Portland, Michigan; grandsons Geritt and Sam Hoving; and three sisters, Sylvia Mattson of Stockholm Maine; Caroyln Drugge of Chesterville, Maine; and Alice (Nicholas) Noyes of Franklin, Maine.
Visitation will be held Friday December 5, 2025 from 2-4 PM at Mohnke Janowicz Funeral Home in Big Rapids. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Big Rapids Garden Club, or The Big Rapids Community Library.
A Celebration of Life and internment will be held in Stockholm, Maine Spring/Summer of 2026.