Mary Jane Marx 1947-2017
Scores of friends and family gathered for a Celebration of Life for Mary Jane Marx at the Burney Lions Hall on November 4.
Ms. Marx was born in Austin, Texas in 1947, but spent most of her adult life in Burney.
She served on the Shasta County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Jeep Team from 1990 until 2017. She also distributed food for the Senior Center food program.
Marx loved horses and rode a horse named Ginger. She was an avid hunter and a lifetime member of the NRA. She was also a traveler and photographer.
Bear killed by Mary Jane Marx
In 1975 she played for the Intermountain All-Star DC Greer baseball team which went to the state finals. She played bass for a band named Johnny and the Rivieras.
She worked at Louisiana Pacific and Sierra Pacific mills as well as for Cogen.
Celebration of Life for a very loving person
Members of the Search and Rescue Jeep Patrol in attendance
The ceremony began with music played by Daniel Williams and Doug Zuehlke. Williams played several Credence Clearwater songs and other tunes that he thought that Mary Jane would like. Zuehlke, a graduate of Boston Conservatory of Music who teaches music and knew Mary Jane in San Jose artfully played a number of popular and jazz tunes on his clarinet.
Music by Daniel Williams and Doug Zuehlke
Center for Spiritual Living
Chris Johnson from the Center for Spiritual Living in Redding officiated for the service. Johnson gave an account of Marx’s life and service.
He read a poem that Mary Jane Marx asked him to read entitled “All is Well” by Henry Scott Holland.
After his talk, friends and family members shared experiences in remembrance of Marx. What emerged is a picture of a “loving giving lady.” She raised wolves and a skunk named Flower. She was a hard worker.
She had a great sense of humor.
A coworker at Cogen shared that at a gathering he had once stated that some women are capable of doing a man’s job and some aren’t.
Yoy McNee with twin daughters Holly and Ivy
“You’re right,” quipped Marx, ” and some men aren’t either.”
After the testimonies, Johnson closed by reading the 23rd Psalm. Lunch followed with a slide show of photographs from Marx’s life.
People came from as far away as Cottonwood, San Jose, and Monterey to attend. One family that came from Monterey was the McNee family.
Yoy McNee was raised by Marx’s mother, also named Mary Jane. Marx was like an older sister to her.
Gavin McNee and his dad Colin
Arriving in Burney for the memorial as the first snowflakes of the year fell, the McNee children were excited to experience snow for the first time.
