Eighty-four-year-old Marion Bancroft Marshall , Mobile's first Azalea Trail Queen and a New York City ballerina, died Friday at Cogburn Nursing Center in Mobile, family members said. Marshall also was a charter member of Mobile's Sewing Club, a women's social club that has been meeting for nearly 60 years. The club was mentioned in a July 20 Wall Street Journal story and featured in a July 28 Mobile Register story. "She was slowing down over the last year or so, but she had been active in many things," her son, John S. Marshall III, said. "She was very sweet and would sit there quietly and listen to you, because she was always wise." John Marshall , 52, of Mobile, said his mother performed ballet in the Broadway musical "The Great Waltz" in 1938 and was the lead ballerina's understudy.
Shortly after that, she returned to Mobile, and in 1939 the Jaycees chose her as their first Azalea Trail Queen, Marshall said. "She was happy that she did it, but they had to talk her into it," Marshall said. "But once it was over with, she was happy they had done it. I remember growing up hearing her talking about it."
Marshall proudly displayed a photo of her cutting a ribbon officially opening the Azalea Trail Festival that year.
"She went in the hospital three weeks ago ... and up until that time she was real sharp. She wasn't active, but her mind was real clear," Marshall said. According to Marshall , his mother suffered from congestive heart failure about three weeks ago, dying Friday at the Nursing Center in Mobile. Marshall said that on a recent visit at the Nursing Center he told her about his son, her grandson, George Bancroft Marshall , 22, teaching sailing in San Francisco. "I was telling her about it, and you could tell she was excited to hear about it and amazed he was doing that," John Marshall said. Marie Abbie Berg, who would only say she is in her 70s, said Marshall will be greatly missed by her and the other 17 members of the social club founded in the early 1940s. Berg said Marshall will be "sadly missed." According to Berg, the last meeting Marshall attended was on Tuesday, July 18.
"Oh, she was a lovely person," Berg said, "always very sweet and lovely to everybody and thoughtful. We will all really miss her." Berg said she plans to attend the funeral and believes the other 17 members that are left will attend. Marshall said his mother was a member of St. Paul's Episcopal Church where she once served as Sunday School superintendent. She also had served on the board of directors for the Florence Critendon Home and was a member of Mobile Lions Club Auxiliary.
Other survivors include her husband, John "Sam" Marshall Jr.; a daughter Connie M. Keister of Apollo Beach, Fla.; and six grandchildren.
Radney Funeral Home on Dauphin Street is handling the arrangements. Visitation will be 10-11 a.m. Tuesday at St. Paul's Episcopal Church Parish Hall. The funeral will follow in the church's chapel.
The family requests that memorials be made to St. Paul's, Wilmer Hall, the American Heart Association or a favorite charity.
Marshall said that, by coincidence, his mother's funeral will be about the same time the Sewing Club met each Tuesday.
"Mother is going to get to host the Sewing Club one more time," Marshall said. CUTLINES: Marion Bancroft Marshall is shown in a family photo and as a dancer in the Broadway ballet "The Great Waltz" in 1938. CUTLINES:
Mobile Register photo Marion Bancroft Marshall cuts the ribbon to open Mobile's Azalea Trail Festival in 1939.
Mobile's first Azalea Trail Queen dies at 84
Mobile Register (AL) - Sunday, August 13, 2000
Shortly after that, she returned to Mobile, and in 1939 the Jaycees chose her as their first Azalea Trail Queen, Marshall said. "She was happy that she did it, but they had to talk her into it," Marshall said. "But once it was over with, she was happy they had done it. I remember growing up hearing her talking about it."
Marshall proudly displayed a photo of her cutting a ribbon officially opening the Azalea Trail Festival that year.
"She went in the hospital three weeks ago ... and up until that time she was real sharp. She wasn't active, but her mind was real clear," Marshall said. According to Marshall , his mother suffered from congestive heart failure about three weeks ago, dying Friday at the Nursing Center in Mobile. Marshall said that on a recent visit at the Nursing Center he told her about his son, her grandson, George Bancroft Marshall , 22, teaching sailing in San Francisco. "I was telling her about it, and you could tell she was excited to hear about it and amazed he was doing that," John Marshall said. Marie Abbie Berg, who would only say she is in her 70s, said Marshall will be greatly missed by her and the other 17 members of the social club founded in the early 1940s. Berg said Marshall will be "sadly missed." According to Berg, the last meeting Marshall attended was on Tuesday, July 18.
"Oh, she was a lovely person," Berg said, "always very sweet and lovely to everybody and thoughtful. We will all really miss her." Berg said she plans to attend the funeral and believes the other 17 members that are left will attend. Marshall said his mother was a member of St. Paul's Episcopal Church where she once served as Sunday School superintendent. She also had served on the board of directors for the Florence Critendon Home and was a member of Mobile Lions Club Auxiliary.
Other survivors include her husband, John "Sam" Marshall Jr.; a daughter Connie M. Keister of Apollo Beach, Fla.; and six grandchildren.
Radney Funeral Home on Dauphin Street is handling the arrangements. Visitation will be 10-11 a.m. Tuesday at St. Paul's Episcopal Church Parish Hall. The funeral will follow in the church's chapel.
The family requests that memorials be made to St. Paul's, Wilmer Hall, the American Heart Association or a favorite charity.
Marshall said that, by coincidence, his mother's funeral will be about the same time the Sewing Club met each Tuesday.
"Mother is going to get to host the Sewing Club one more time," Marshall said. CUTLINES: Marion Bancroft Marshall is shown in a family photo and as a dancer in the Broadway ballet "The Great Waltz" in 1938. CUTLINES:
Mobile Register photo Marion Bancroft Marshall cuts the ribbon to open Mobile's Azalea Trail Festival in 1939.
Mobile's first Azalea Trail Queen dies at 84
Mobile Register (AL) - Sunday, August 13, 2000
Eighty-four-year-old Marion Bancroft Marshall , Mobile's first Azalea Trail Queen and a New York City ballerina, died Friday at Cogburn Nursing Center in Mobile, family members said. Marshall also was a charter member of Mobile's Sewing Club, a women's social club that has been meeting for nearly 60 years. The club was mentioned in a July 20 Wall Street Journal story and featured in a July 28 Mobile Register story. "She was slowing down over the last year or so, but she had been active in many things," her son, John S. Marshall III, said. "She was very sweet and would sit there quietly and listen to you, because she was always wise." John Marshall , 52, of Mobile, said his mother performed ballet in the Broadway musical "The Great Waltz" in 1938 and was the lead ballerina's understudy.
Shortly after that, she returned to Mobile, and in 1939 the Jaycees chose her as their first Azalea Trail Queen, Marshall said. "She was happy that she did it, but they had to talk her into it," Marshall said. "But once it was over with, she was happy they had done it. I remember growing up hearing her talking about it."
Marshall proudly displayed a photo of her cutting a ribbon officially opening the Azalea Trail Festival that year.
"She went in the hospital three weeks ago ... and up until that time she was real sharp. She wasn't active, but her mind was real clear," Marshall said. According to Marshall , his mother suffered from congestive heart failure about three weeks ago, dying Friday at the Nursing Center in Mobile. Marshall said that on a recent visit at the Nursing Center he told her about his son, her grandson, George Bancroft Marshall , 22, teaching sailing in San Francisco. "I was telling her about it, and you could tell she was excited to hear about it and amazed he was doing that," John Marshall said. Marie Abbie Berg, who would only say she is in her 70s, said Marshall will be greatly missed by her and the other 17 members of the social club founded in the early 1940s. Berg said Marshall will be "sadly missed." According to Berg, the last meeting Marshall attended was on Tuesday, July 18.
"Oh, she was a lovely person," Berg said, "always very sweet and lovely to everybody and thoughtful. We will all really miss her." Berg said she plans to attend the funeral and believes the other 17 members that are left will attend. Marshall said his mother was a member of St. Paul's Episcopal Church where she once served as Sunday School superintendent. She also had served on the board of directors for the Florence Critendon Home and was a member of Mobile Lions Club Auxiliary.
Other survivors include her husband, John "Sam" Marshall Jr.; a daughter Connie M. Keister of Apollo Beach, Fla.; and six grandchildren.
Radney Funeral Home on Dauphin Street is handling the arrangements. Visitation will be 10-11 a.m. Tuesday at St. Paul's Episcopal Church Parish Hall. The funeral will follow in the church's chapel.
The family requests that memorials be made to St. Paul's, Wilmer Hall, the American Heart Association or a favorite charity.
Marshall said that, by coincidence, his mother's funeral will be about the same time the Sewing Club met each Tuesday.
"Mother is going to get to host the Sewing Club one more time," Marshall said. CUTLINES: Marion Bancroft Marshall is shown in a family photo and as a dancer in the Broadway ballet "The Great Waltz" in 1938. CUTLINES:
Mobile Register photo Marion Bancroft Marshall cuts the ribbon to open Mobile's Azalea Trail Festival in 1939.
Mobile's first Azalea Trail Queen dies at 84
Mobile Register (AL) - Sunday, August 13, 2000
Shortly after that, she returned to Mobile, and in 1939 the Jaycees chose her as their first Azalea Trail Queen, Marshall said. "She was happy that she did it, but they had to talk her into it," Marshall said. "But once it was over with, she was happy they had done it. I remember growing up hearing her talking about it."
Marshall proudly displayed a photo of her cutting a ribbon officially opening the Azalea Trail Festival that year.
"She went in the hospital three weeks ago ... and up until that time she was real sharp. She wasn't active, but her mind was real clear," Marshall said. According to Marshall , his mother suffered from congestive heart failure about three weeks ago, dying Friday at the Nursing Center in Mobile. Marshall said that on a recent visit at the Nursing Center he told her about his son, her grandson, George Bancroft Marshall , 22, teaching sailing in San Francisco. "I was telling her about it, and you could tell she was excited to hear about it and amazed he was doing that," John Marshall said. Marie Abbie Berg, who would only say she is in her 70s, said Marshall will be greatly missed by her and the other 17 members of the social club founded in the early 1940s. Berg said Marshall will be "sadly missed." According to Berg, the last meeting Marshall attended was on Tuesday, July 18.
"Oh, she was a lovely person," Berg said, "always very sweet and lovely to everybody and thoughtful. We will all really miss her." Berg said she plans to attend the funeral and believes the other 17 members that are left will attend. Marshall said his mother was a member of St. Paul's Episcopal Church where she once served as Sunday School superintendent. She also had served on the board of directors for the Florence Critendon Home and was a member of Mobile Lions Club Auxiliary.
Other survivors include her husband, John "Sam" Marshall Jr.; a daughter Connie M. Keister of Apollo Beach, Fla.; and six grandchildren.
Radney Funeral Home on Dauphin Street is handling the arrangements. Visitation will be 10-11 a.m. Tuesday at St. Paul's Episcopal Church Parish Hall. The funeral will follow in the church's chapel.
The family requests that memorials be made to St. Paul's, Wilmer Hall, the American Heart Association or a favorite charity.
Marshall said that, by coincidence, his mother's funeral will be about the same time the Sewing Club met each Tuesday.
"Mother is going to get to host the Sewing Club one more time," Marshall said. CUTLINES: Marion Bancroft Marshall is shown in a family photo and as a dancer in the Broadway ballet "The Great Waltz" in 1938. CUTLINES:
Mobile Register photo Marion Bancroft Marshall cuts the ribbon to open Mobile's Azalea Trail Festival in 1939.
Mobile's first Azalea Trail Queen dies at 84
Mobile Register (AL) - Sunday, August 13, 2000
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