Obituary of Marjorie Shuman

MARJORIE MURPHY SHUMAN Albany, New York Marjorie Murphy Shuman, born Marjorie Davis Gould, Nov. 16, 1916, died peacefully at the home of her daughter Jennifer Murphy Wehren, in Albany, NY, July 29, 2010. Marjorie was born in Manchester, NH, and grew up in Newton Centre, MA, where she was active in the First Baptist Church in Newton. She received an A.B. from Colby College, in Maine, and her M.A. from Radcliffe College. She taught English and Journalism for three years at LaSalle Junior College, and then during World War II, she spent 20 months in Italy and Germany with the American Red Cross. She met Howard Murphy at the Harvard Summer School, and they married in 1950. The family moved to Oneonta, NY, in 1966, when Howard received an appointment to teach history at the State University College. Marjorie did substitute teaching at the Oneonta High School, and part-time teaching at Hartwick College. They were active in the First Unitarian Church of Oneonta. In 1980, Howard died of a brain tumor. She was a member of the "Sewing Ladies" and continued to correspond with many dear friends. For five years, she taught at the Writing Center at the State University College, and started and edited a children's supplement for the Oneonta Star newspaper. In 1990, she met a fellow alumnus at a Colby Reunion, Edwin Shuman, and they were married in 1991. She joined him at the Penney Retirement Community, in Penney Farms, FL. She remained at Penney Farms, after Edwin passed away in 2005, participating in many reading and musical groups, with her typical joy and passion. She finally left many good friends at Penney Farms in May, 2009, to stay with Jennifer in Albany, due to her declining condition. She died peacefully in the company of Jennifer, and her husband, Paul D. Wehren. Of their three children, Arthur Murphy and Jennifer Murphy Wehren are surviving; Katherine suffered a fatal accident while a freshman at Colby College, in 1971. Her older sister Dorothy Rhoades passed in 2009, and she is survived by Ruth Stebbins of Sequim, Washington, and Gilbert Gould of Whitesboro, New York. She is also survived by her nieces and nephews and their spouses, Rebecca and Mark Johnson, Charles Rhoades, Rob and Kit Stebbins, Marnie Dam, Jim and Rosie Gould, Brad and Joanne Gould, Barbara Gould and Ahmed Khalid Ahmed, Sue and Bill Beale, David and Gina Murphy, and Mandy and John Morris; her stepchildren and their spouses, Robert and Nancy Shuman, Sandra and Charles Witherington, James and Audrey Shuman (now deceased) and Paul and Margaret Shuman; her many great nieces, great nephews, step-grandchildren, their spouses and children; her daughter's step-children, Paul M. Wehren, Jessica Grizzard, and Alex Wehren, and great granddaughter Cadence Grizzard. She is also survived by her sister-in-law, Eileen McEvoy, and her cousin, Douglas King, and his wife Claire. She will be buried at the Southborough Rural Cemetery , in Southborough, Massachusetts. A memorial service will be scheduled at a later date in Oneonta, NY.In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent in her memory to: The Katherine Rogers Murphy Poetry Prize, Colby College 4800 Mayflower Hill Waterville, Maine 04901