Marilyn Crenshaw, a former resident of Anthony, KS, and since 2009, living in Lawrence, KS, died August 16, 2017, at Lawrence Memorial Hospital. A celebration of life service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday Sept 16, 2017 at Anthony United Methodist Church, Anthony KS. As Marilyn donated her body for medical study to the KU Medical School, inurnment of her ashes at the Harper Cemetery will occur at a later date.
Marilyn was born Nov. 20, 1925 in rural Kennedy, N.Y., daughter of Harold W. and Helena Williams Spencer. She graduated from Randolph Central School, Randolph, N.Y. in 1943 and attended Buffalo State Teachers College, Buffalo, N.Y., receiving her B.S. degree in 1947 and her M.S. degree in 1956.
Marilyn taught home economics in schools in Cattaraugus, NY, and was teaching at Randolph Central School when she met Howard Crenshaw, who was at that time a student at Wesley Seminary in Washington, D.C. and serving a small student pastorate in Sharptown, N.J. Howard and Marilyn were married at the Kennedy Methodist Church July 3, 1960, following Howard’s graduation from seminary.
Upon returning to the Kansas West Conference of the United Methodist Church in May of 1961, Howard and Marilyn served churches in Turon/Langdon, Haven, Wichita East Heights, Oakley, Anthony, and Wichita-Dellrose. Upon Howard’s death in 1990 from leukemia, Marilyn returned to live in Anthony for 19 ½ years before moving to an apartment in Lawrence, to be near her son and her grandchildren.
Marilyn was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, her only sibling, Iris Hamilton of Bath, N.Y. She is survived by one son, Wesley, his wife Lucinda, and two grandchildren, Alyssa and Alexander, Lawrence, KS. Other survivors are a nephew, Michael Hamilton and niece, Martha Biener, both of Bath, N.Y., as well as several cousins and a host of friends.
In lieu of flowers the family asks that memorials be sent to the Howard Crenshaw scholarship fund at Southwestern College, Winfield, KS., Anthony United Methodist Church, or Youthville.
Condolences may be sent at rumsey-yost.com or www.prairierosefuneralhomes.com.