Wednesday, May 8, 2024
At the end of the second world war in 1946, among all the children born, two were to be born in Detroit, Michigan who would eventually be brought together by the Lord for over 51 years of love and 50 years of impact for the Lord and His Word. The first is the one we are honoring, a baby girl. Her name was to be Marion Louise Mallette. The second was myself, her husband Paul, born 7 months later in December. Marion was born on May 30, 1946 as the third daughter of Joseph and Ruth Mallette. She would have two older sisters 14 and 10 years her senior. She was born into a country home in Wayne, Michigan just West of Detroit.
Her mother, Ruth, had a deep Bible-believing faith which young Marion latched on to at a very early age. She heard, understood, and be-lieved the gospel of faith in Christ needed as the only way of salvation. She could be found out on the dirt piles of the men digging the ditches along her road preaching to them as a pre-schooler.
She would attend early schools in the area of Wayne, Michigan and ultimately graduate from Wayne High School in 1964. At her church she was a leader in the youth group and had a close relationship with the Youth Leader. He encouraged her to continue her education at Bethel Christian College, in Minneapolis-Saint Paul. However, she found being so far away from home was hard and being homesick she returned home after the first year. She would work at some jobs in and around Detroit. One of them was as a receptionist at Trinity Electronics in Detroit. There she would meet the man who was to become her husband of 51 years, Paul Schmidtbleicher. He was working summer jobs in television repair while attending the University of Michigan. As he left in the fall to return to U/M for his sophomore year, he wrote Marion about seeing her during Thanksgiving vacation. They would have their first date at the 1966 J.L. Hudson Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thanksgiving Day.
Marion and Paul spent most of the time talking about the Lord in their lives and the directions they believed the Lord was leading. The end result was to become a proposal for marriage. Marion already believed the Lord was calling her to ministry. Paul was also being pulled away from engineering and towards ministry. The result would be that both would enroll in Detroit Bible College in 1967 and be married in August of 1968.
The couple found a residence in an upper flat in Detroit. Paul would complete a Bachelor of Theology Degree at Bible College and Marion would work after her first year at Bible College to help support the couple along with Paul's summer jobs.
Paul's graduation found the couple wondering what was next. It was to be Seminary and preparation for the Pastorate. Both had become convinced that this was the direction in which the Lord was leading.
Marion's husband was accepted into the premier Bible-believing semi-nary of that day in Dallas, Texas, (Dallas Theological Seminary). In late summer 1970 the two were off to an exciting 4 years in Dallas Texas. This time Paul would work along with Seminary and Marion could do part-time things and build their home.
After Seminary graduation the first call of the Lord's leading would be to Belle Plaine, Iowa in 1975 and a newly formed church in Toledo, Iowa. Marion would be a Pastor's wife with all the details that filled the life of pastors and pastor's wives. She and Paul would give birth to a daughter, Holly in 1975. Shortly thereafter a son Erik would be born to Marion and Paul. It was now a family of four. Marion did early home schooling for pre-kindergarden for both children. Marion ministered as a pastor's wife in teaching children's Sunday School, Camping Ministry, Music, Trios, and coun-selor to the women who would seek her wisdom.
In 1989 a call came from a North Seattle church to come to Seattle. The couple had ministered in Iowa 15 years and helped encourage that congre-gation in many ways even encouraging the building of their own church build-ing. The call of Seattle was strong. Marion and her husband realized that to say no would be to be out of the will of God. They would move to the Seattle area to minister at Evergreen Baptist Church. It was there that Marion's talents and abilities were finely honed to become an even greater asset for the work of the Lord. She was into choirs, musicals, camp ministry and head of the Children's Sunday School. Her wisdom and knowledge were sought by many as they were drawn by her Biblical knowledge, quick wit, and sense of humor. She and her husband would minister at Evergreen for nearly 30 years.
During that time, their son Erik, would bless them with their first grandchild, a baby girl named Autumn. Daughter Holly would marry and soon give us several more grandchildren making them a major part of her life. Marion got to travel back to Michigan to see family. Daughter Holly arranged for her to go to Disneyland in California and she was having the time of her life.
Toward the end of those 30 years Marion began to experience some health problems - early COPD [She NEVER SMOKED]. She and her husband were now in their 70's. They realized that retirement was next. Daughter Holly and Pastor Husband Greg were now ministering in Brewster, Washington. They also had brought 6 of the 7 grandchildren into the world. A house was found and Marion with her husband moved to Brewster, Washington in 2018 to be close to family and enjoy retirement.
As Marion's COPD became worse, she became house-bound and her husband contributed to her care. She was now on oxygen 24-7 and the COPD was progressing. During the first week of December she entered the hospital: first in Brewster and then transferred to Wenatchee. Her desire became to enter the presence of the Lord. Her "earthly home" was failing. The Lord graciously allowed Marion to say goodbyes to her 7 grandchildren, her son, surviving sister, nieces and nephews. On December 8, 2019 at 6:14 p.m. with her husband and daughter holding her hands, playing her favorite Christian Music, she quietly left her failing "earthly house" to enter into the pres-ence of her Savior, Jesus Christ, and the glories of a new home in heaven.
Marion is survived an older sister Thelma Webb of Garden City, Michigan, by husband, Rev. Paul Schmidtbleicher of 51 years, Daughter Holly Thorn and husband Pastor Greg Thorn of Brewster, Washington, and her a son, Erik Schmidtbleicher of Bothell, Washington.
Marion has seven grandchildren: Autumn Welker and husband Jack of Bellingham Washington, six Thorn grandchildren of Brewster, Washington: Madelyn, Aubrey, Keira, Elijah, Isabelle, and Elsie. She has several nieces and nephews in Michigan as well.
Please leave any thoughts and memories for the family at barneschapel.com. Services are entrusted to Barnes Chapel of Brewster.
