Marjorie Louise (Choate) Kinkade was born on January 1, 1925, to Harry Forrest and Dorothy (Harkins) Choate in Creston, Iowa. She passed away on April 5, 2023, at the age of 98 at the Atriums in Overland Park, Kansas. Funeral services will be held on Monday, 11:00 a.m., April 10, 2023, at the Cromwell United Church of Christ, in Cromwell, IA, with committal at the Cromwell Cemetery following the service.
Marjorie graduated from Afton High School in 1942. Due to a teacher shortage because of WWII, she was issued an emergency teaching certificate. Only 17 years old, she taught for 2 years in one-room country schools in Union County, IA. On March 19, 1944, she married Franklin Kinkade and they were parents to four children, Connie, Keith, Kerry and Carla. Marjorie helped in the family business, Kinkade Underground Construction (later Kinkade Industries, Inc.) as the bookkeeper for many years. She also worked in the Adult Education Department at Southwestern Community College and, after divorcing Franklin in 1978, she went to work at the Area Education Agency as a communications paraprofessional working with children with speech and language challenges. She remained at the AEA until her retirement in 1990. In addition to her full-time job, Marjorie volunteered at her church, schools, and many other places over the years. The Kinkade family enjoyed hosting several foreign exchange students over the years.
Faith was a priority to Marjorie who was a member of the Cromwell Congregational Church of Christ and later the Creston United Church of Christ. She not only instilled this strong faith in her family, but she also brought others to Christ when she taught Sunday School and Vacation Bible School for many years at Cromwell, often holding leadership roles.
Marjorie loved history and her country. She joined the Daughters of the American Revolution which became a passion for her. She held the office of Regent, was registrar for many years, and remained an active member until her death.
An amazing researcher, Marjorie enjoyed genealogy and family history. She collected articles, newspaper clippings, and various documentation pertaining to the family to include in a book for her descendants, which she constantly updated. A life-long learner, Marjorie loved traveling and documenting her adventures in book form upon her return. She loved watching the birds and tending to her flower garden, and mowing the lawn was one of her favorite chores, which she did until the age of 94! She was a long-time exhibitor at the Union County Fair, a 4-H leader for many years, and even started a club for the Cromwell girls. Crafting was a life-long passion for her, and she created many beautiful treasures over the years, everything from ceramics, utilizing her basement kiln, to handmade Christmas cards.
Above all, her family was the most important to her. She cherished her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren. Her love of reading and history was passed down through books she made for those she loved, and the games they played together. There was nothing better than hearing her tell stories about the family, and it didn’t matter how many times they had been told. She finally had to write a book of Grandma Stories so her grandchildren could read them even when she wasn’t with them.
Marjorie is survived and lovingly remembered by her children, Connie Kinkade of Creston, Keith (Judy) Kinkade of Saddlebrook, MO, Kerry (Helen) Kinkade of Overland Park, KS, and Carla Kinkade of Creston, grandchildren include Todd (Tara) Kinkade, Brian (Megan) Kinkade, Chad (Kristin) Kinkade, Jennifer (Patrick) Bussen and Jessica (James) Cummins. Great grandchildren are Trevor Kinkade, Kasey (Kaitlyn) Kinkade, Conner (Nicole) Kinkade, Corissa Kinkade, Zoe Kinkade, Locklyn Kinkade, Leo Kinkade, David Kinkade, Isaac Kinkade, Danny Bussen, Caleb Bussen, Eli Bussen, Zachary Bussen, Jimmy Cummins and Nicole Cummins. Great-great grandchildren are Bentley Kinkade and Vela Kinkade. Marjorie has two sisters, Carol Pierce and Judy Seedorf, both of Waterloo, Iowa, and many nieces and nephews. She will be greatly missed.