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To
know Marjorie Pitner is to love and admire a truly great lady, who
embodied many of the virtues seen in those who lived through America’s
hard times and prevailed. People often noted her
“pioneer spirit”, her uncritical and accepting nature, and her
devotion and love for her family and friends.
Marjorie Neelley Pitner was born in Wellborn, Texas, December 30,
1914. She was the oldest of three children and
grew up during the depression. There was no money for
college, but she attended business school in Houston, paying her way by
serving as a nanny for two young children. She
returned to College Station, where the family now lived, and gained
employment as a secretary for Texas A&M. With her
salary and her mother’s income from an assortment of job s, she was
able support her family and to help educate her younger siblings. While
working on the A&M campus, Marjorie met H. M. “Doc” Pitner, a
handsome young student who was attending A&M on an athletic
scholarship. The couple married in 1937 and soon
moved to the Denton area where Doc’s family had lived for about 100
years and soon became active in the growing community. They owned and
operated Pitner Packing Plant for about twenty-five years, were active
in the Optimist Club, the Sheriff’s Posse, and the Roundup Club.
They enjoyed raising and showing several different breeds of
horses. Doc and Marjorie were instrumental in
establishing the North Texas Fair Association and in producing Saturday
night rodeos. For many years Marjorie served as
secretary and handled the weekly parade of cowboys entering the rodeo
with efficiency and good humor. In fact, Marjorie was
always the bookkeeper and organizer of most of the ventures they
undertook and was known for her meticulous and unforgiving double entry
bookkeeping system.
Doc died January 10, 1971 and since that time Marjorie has
continued her life of service and productivity. She and Doc owned
Roselawn Memorial Park, and Marjorie served as president until August,
2005. She served on the Board of Directors of North
Texas Savings and Loan, an association Doc and Marjorie helped bring to
Denton.
The life of Marjorie Pitner was characterized by a generous, giving
spirit and a quiet zest for life. She was an avid
sport’s enthusiast, never missing any televised sport, tennis match or
any sport or activity that involved her “kids”. She
enjoyed traveling and socializing with friends and fellow members of
Beta Sigma Phi sorority, and she never met a New York Times
crossword puzzle that she didn’t conquer with pen and ink.
Her greatest joy, however, was her family. Marjorie
doted on her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and a brand
new great-great-granddaughter, none of whom, in her opinion, could do
any wrong. Her grandchildren are Mike, David and T.J.
Riley, children of Linda Pitner and Tony Riley and John Kelsoe and
Kaylin Kelsoe Farmer, children of Patricia Pitner and
Jerry Kelsoe. There are thirteen great-grand
children, each having a portion of their college education provided by
their great grandmother. Her legacy of caring and giving lives on.
Marjorie Pitner passed from this life July 17, 2007 with all her
family at her side. She will be missed.
Visitation will be held Thursday, July 19, 2007 from 7:00 - 9:00
p.m. at Mulkey Mason Funeral Home, 705 N. Locust in Denton. Memorial
services will be held at First Baptist Church, 1100 Malone St. at
11:00 a.m., Friday, July 20, 2007 with Rev. Cliff Feeler officiating
followed by burial at Roselawn Memorial Park. Pallbearers are her
sons-in-law, Jerry Kelsoe and Tony Riley and her grandsons, Mike Riley,
David Riley, T. J. Riley, and John Kelsoe.
SOURCE: Mulkey-Mason
Family of Funeral Homes |
