Marilyn Jean (Brandon) Twining, daughter of Francis and Alma (Elder) Brandon, was born October 19, 1939, in rural Forty Four (now known as Hatter’s Corner), Arkansas. She grew up in various north-central Kansas farming communities. Having accepted Jesus Christ as her personal Lord and Savior in 1956 she was baptized at West Side Baptist Church, Topeka, Kansas. She graduated from Highland Park high School, Topeka, Kansas in 1957. On June 1, 1958, she was united in marriage with Gail L. Twining at West Side Baptist Church, Topeka, Kansas. To this marriage were born a son, Trenton, and two daughters, Denise and Leslie.
In 1961, she moved with her husband to Manhattan, Kansas, where she became private secretary to the Dean of Intramural Sports and Head Coach of the Crew Rowing Team at Kansas State University. When her husband answered the call to the Pastoral Ministry in 1970, she moved with him and their three children to Washington, Kansas, where she became Deputy Registrar of Deeds for Washington County, Kansas. When she moved again with her family to Lansing, Kansas in 1975, she became Executive Secretary to the Vice President for Development at Saint Mary’s College, Leavenworth, Kansas. At the same time, she was busily acting as proofreader, typist and chief encourager for her husband, Gail, while he was earning a college degree and a seminary degree.
After moving a fourth time with her family in 1977 to Tekamah, Nebraska, she became Bookkeeper and unofficial “Assistant Administrator” at Tekamah Nursing Home (now known as Tekamah Arbor Care Center). It was in Tekamah where all three of her children married and left home. It was also here she became a member of Tekamah Chapter Number 131, Order of the Eastern Star.
From Tekamah, she moved with her husband to Huron, South Dakota. Here, she took a course preparing her to be licensed as a Real Estate Agent, working for Ace Realty. A sixth move brought her to rural Benton, Kansas - a few miles northeast of Wichita, Kansas. It was back to school again, this time preparing to be certified as Dietary Manager for Wheat State Manor Nursing Home, Whitewater Kansas.
Upon retiring in 2001, she moved one more time with her husband, back to the place they had considered to be home for many a year, Tekamah. Here, she worked for three years as Proofreader for the Burt County Plaindealer and the Midwest Messenger.
She went on to be with the Lord March 17, 2023, after a long illness.
She was preceded in death by her parents; two brothers Berkley and Glenn Brandon, a sister, Wanda Cozine and two sisters-in-law, Elizabeth Brandon and Marlene Brandon. She Leaves behind to mourn her passing and to look forward to the reunion that is to come, husband, Gail; son Trenton and his wife, Barb; Daughters, Denise Hunter and her husband, Dave and Leslie Petersen and her husband, Ray; eight grandchildren, twenty-three great-grandchildren and a host of cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends. Especially to be noted among the latter are the staff at Tekamah Arbor Care Center, who cared for her so well in her illness of nine long years.
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