In Memory of Marjorie J. Hussey

Marjorie J. Hussey, age 88, of Omaha Nebraska (formerly of Ida Grove, Iowa) passed away on Thursday, January 20, 2022, at the St. Joseph Villa of Omaha, Nebraska.

A Funeral Service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Thursday, January 27, 2022, at the Christensen-Van Houten Funeral Home of Ida Grove, Iowa. Pastor Luann Benge will officiate. A Visitation will be held one-hour prior to the service from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., on Thursday, January 27, 2022, at the Christensen-Van Houten Funeral Home of Ida Grove, Iowa. Committal Services will follow in the Ida Grove Cemetery of Ida Grove, Iowa.

The Christensen-Van Houten Funeral Home of Ida Grove, Iowa, is in charge of the funeral arrangements. Condolences may be sent online at www.christensenvanhouten.com

Marjorie Joyce Hussey, the daughter of Dorothy and Arthur Wilson, was born on January 16, 1934, in Schaller, Iowa. Marjorie was raised in Schaller and attended Schaller High School where she was a cheerleader and graduated with the class of 1951.

On February 1, 1952, Marjorie was united in marriage to Douglas Hussey in the United Methodist Church of Storm Lake, Iowa. Douglas joined the Air Force shortly after and was deployed to Japan and Korea. After he returned, the couple settled down in Storm Lake and were blessed with four children: Charmaine, Pamela, Fred and James.

In 1960 the family moved to Ida Grove, Iowa, where Marjorie kept busy raising their four children. In 1967 the family moved to Omaha, Nebraska, where Marjorie worked for Kmart Corporation in the office doing bookkeeping. She was active with a bowling league, “The 600 Club”, for many years and enjoyed her time with friends and family.

Marjorie and Douglas returned to Ida Grove in 1990 to enjoy their retirement. While in Ida Grove, Marjorie became an active member of the Ida Grove Historical Society; she always loved the history of her home. She also kept busy with many friends and family. There was always a pet in their house. In Ida Grove it was their dog Rusty, then came their beloved cat Punkin. 

Marjorie and her husband enjoyed wintering in Arizona for 17 years and were members of the Historical Society of Yuma, AZ. They were also members of the Stormy Water Rower’s Camping Club. In her 60’s, Marjorie took up oil painting as a hobby at the University of Arizona at Yuma. She loved painting beautiful landscapes, usually of places they had been. Her and Douglas enjoyed the desert with adventures in dune buggies and off roading, rock collecting, dinners and parties with other campers, and shopping in Mexico. 

In 2018 Douglas became ill and was admitted to Good Sam’s in Holstein, Iowa. He passed away on January 12, 2019. After that Marjorie lived on her own in the Ida Grove house until her daughter, Pamela, moved to her to an independent living community in Bellevue, Nebraska, in July of 2019. In the community she was fast to make friends and enjoyed all the activities and parties.

Margie, as she was known by at her last community (St. Joseph Villa), was always happy and friendly with everyone she knew or didn’t know. She loved friends, family, animals, history, painting, taking pictures, living and laughing. From all the road trips we took from Omaha to Ida Grove, she loved to see the clouds, especially over the Iowa fields. She will be missed.

Left to cherish her memory include her children Pamela (James) Franco of Omaha, NE and James Hussey of Omaha, NE; grandchildren Charmaine (Jim) Crist of Council Bluffs, IA, Rhea Franco of Omaha, NE and Adam Franco of Omaha, NE; great-grandchildren Shaelynn and Tristen Crist of Council Bluffs, IA; sisters Cheryl Haack of Schaller, IA and Doreen Kestal of Storm Lake, IA.

She was preceded in death by her parents Dorothy and Arthur Wilson; husband Douglas Hussey; daughter Charmaine Hussey; son Fred Hussey; granddaughter Mia Paloma Franco; sisters Glenice (George) Koth, Bonnie Filer and Joan Vrana.