Marjorie Ellen Langshaw

Marjorie Ellen Langshaw, 95, passed away on Jan. 3, 2023, at the home of her son in Moses Lake with the valued support of Assured Hospice after a bout with pneumonia. She had been so careful to avoid catching COVID-19, she was surprised to catch pneumonia right after Thanksgiving. Her husband, James Edward Langshaw, died Nov 16, 2002, of a heart attack due to complications of Myocarditis from a virus he caught on a vacation 10 years earlier.
Marje was born on May 1, 1927 in Bozeman, MT to Grace A. Herrin and James L. Deskin. She grew up in Montana and moved to Wenatchee during her high school years, graduating in 1945. Through a friend she met in high school, Lois Schreiner, she met Lois's cousin, Jim Langshaw, who became her husband. Jim was an amateur and professional roller skater, and they enjoyed skating and even started their children skating as soon as they could walk.
When Jim returned from WWII in the Pacific, he trained as a mechanic. They moved to Bozeman, where Jim had a job working for a garage, and Marje had many relatives. Their daughter, Linda Lee, was born in 1946. Having come from the Pacific and after working for a garage rescuing cars in a Montana winter, Jim was tired of freezing, so they returned to Wenatchee. Their daughter, Donna Rae, was born in 1948 and their son, Edward Berton, was born in 1952.
Jim was a born salesman starting that career in Wenatchee. As a young boy, he sold candy to the workers in the fruit-packing warehouses for a profit, and he was able to help his parents purchase a family home. When Jim and Marje returned from Montana, Jim became a sales/delivery man for the Weinstein Bottling Company delivering Pepsi and 7-Up while he worked at the D & D Roller Rink. He started traveling to the Lakeview Roller Rink to teach weekend lessons and would take his daughters with him.
During that time, Marje and Jim built a cement block home on the edge of his parents' property that is still occupied on Western Avenue. They worked together salvaging lumber from a church that was being torn down, laying the blocks, and finishing the home. Jim liked having someone to work with him, and Marje was right there.
When an opportunity to have his own Pepsi Distributorship became available, Marje and Jim moved to Ephrata in 1954. They operated that business with the whole family pitching in until 1964. He worked many years for the Ephrata School District as a Bus Driver and maintenance crew member. Jim followed that by becoming a traveling salesman selling Gilsabind Asphalt Sealer throughout WA, OR, and ID, spending weekdays on the road and weekends at home. He eventually became interested in Shaklee products and sold them until his death.
Marje was a Camp Fire group leader for both her daughters, who started attending Camp Zanika Lache at Lake Wenatchee in 2nd grade and became Camp Counselors. Marje and Jim became active volunteers for Camp Fire during the years and also spent weekends in the summer getting Camp ready to open and close in the fall. Jim was instrumental in getting work crews together to work on building repairs, cleaning up fallen and hazardous trees, and pouring the foundation of the dining hall. Marje would make meals for their trips to camp to feed the crews and work on getting the facilities clean and ready for campers. Both received many honors for their service. In fact, a living present was Jack, the camp donkey mascot who enjoyed walking into cabins, stepping on suitcases and sharing the campers' pop. He lived with the Langshaws for many years, his bellowing a familiar sound. The whole family loved Camp Zanika; it was a favorite place to spend time. Marje and Donna made a trip in 2013 to visit Camp while Linda's family attended Family Camp.
Marje was a stay-at-home Mom until she decided to get a job outside the home and stop loading pop trucks, even if she only made enough money to pay someone else to do it. Marje began her secretarial career in the 1960s at Washington State Child Guidance Center in Ephrata and retired on July 1, 1990, from Grant County PUD as an Administrative Secretary. She enjoyed her work and the friends she made there. She served many years as a board member donating many hours to Granco Credit Union.
Both Jim and Marge were very active BPOE members. After retirement, Marje took on the job of Club Manager as a volunteer receiving no pay but Recognition Awards for many years of service until the Ephrata Elks joined with the Moses Lake Elks, and the building was sold to the American Legion. She finally settled into retirement.
Marje was an active, long-time Epsilon Sigma Alpha sorority member. She immensely enjoyed the group and its activities, especially the yearly Fall/Christmas Bazaars they sponsored and Spring Style Shows of Home Sewn Fashions. As was common in those days, Marje sewed most of her children's and her own clothing. So, it was natural that the club members decided they could use their sewing talents and families as models to fundraise to benefit community causes they adopted. She and her beloved dear ESA sister, Betty Rogers, kept regular visits until Marje's health failed.
Marje belonged to an informal group of lady friends that met almost daily until COVID. When restaurants reopened, the group reunited for a Friday Lunch Bunch.
Marje often said she had a good life, and although she had endured hardships growing up, she had learned the lessons of hard work, the value of family, and giving of oneself. Marje was always one of the first to pitch in, and she was proud of her family and their accomplishments. She loved her family dearly and would do anything she could to help them. Many people in the community benefited from knowing Marje as she benefited from knowing them.
She is survived by her children, Linda Klein of Longview, Donna Pierce of Ephrata, and Bert Langshaw and his wife Deb McGann of Moses Lake; her grandchildren, Russell Langshaw (Jelena) Scottsdale AZ, Bryan Klein (Carrie-Anne) Anacortes WA, Justin Pierce (Amy) Seattle WA, Garrett Klein Longview WA, Kimberly Langshaw Redford (Sean) Moses Lake, Jarred Pierce (Jennifer) Pasco and Brent Langshaw (Sadie) Moses Lake. Her great-grandchildren are Maycee, Dane, Lucas, Conley and Finley Langshaw, Kadence and Drake Hansen; Danika, Josslyn, Nigel and Liam Pierce; Jaselynne, Jayda, Brooks, Hudson, Mya, and Sutton Redford; Averi and Maxwell Klein, Halle Simons, Elijah and Olivia White. Marje also took under her wing and raised her 'adopted grandson', Aaron Johnson, of Ephrata. She is also survived by Jim's sister-in-law, Brenda Langshaw, Florida.
In addition to her husband, Marje was preceded in death by her parents, her brother and sister-in-law, James and Beverly Deskin of East Wenatchee, and her grandson, Troy Aaron Langshaw, who passed just a week before his 3rd birthday in 1977 of Reye's Syndrome.
While her family misses her dearly, they treasure memories of times shared with Mom and Dad, Grandma and Grandpa, and Great Grandma and Grandpa.