Marilyn Dee Stoddard

Marilyn Dee Stoddard moved into her heavenly mansion on June 23, 2025 with Jesus as her Guide.

Born Minerva Marilyn Thompson to Oscar Lee Thompson and Minerva Madge Hopkins in Wardell, MO on November 17, 1947, she was one of seventeen children (including a twin sister who died in infancy).

Forced to leave high school to care for her younger siblings after her mother was critically injured in a car accident, Marilyn longed to fulfill a childhood dream of becoming a nurse. When she became estranged from her birth family in her thirties, Marilyn decided to change her name. In 1982, she was invited to join the family of Rev. Dick and Betty Stoddard of Addison, MI and quickly became part of the line-up of the “Stoddard girls”. Although the oldest by birth, she is still jokingly referred to as “Sister #5” since she was the last to join the family.

With the encouragement of her new family, she earned her GED certificate in 1983. Enrolling in Kellogg Community College, she reached her long-sought goal when she was pinned as an LPN in 1986 with her entire new family present for the event.

She was quickly hired to be the solo nighttime on-call nurse for Good Samaritan Hospice of Battle Creek and worked for them until 1996 when a work-related injury made it necessary for her to retire. She never lost her desire to serve and for many years continued to provide comfort for friends and family members in their final days. She was thrilled to become part of the Nurse Honor Guard of Calhoun County and participate in their services and events.

Raised in the church, she became involved in the music and ministry at Maple Methodist Church where she served as choir leader, a kitchen helper, and one of the church gardeners. A resident of the Battle Creek area since 1983, Marilyn was a member of Convis Union UMC for thirteen years and then Maple Methodist Church for the past eighteen years where her sister Linda is pastor. She has always loved the old Gospel tunes and during recent hospital stays could often be heard singing or humming “I’ll Fly Away” or one of her favorite Gaither tunes. [One of the staff at Marshall Comfort Care would often come into her room to sing the old hymns with her]

Marilyn loved country music and line dancing. She even taught a group of church ladies at Maple Church to do the “Electric Slide” to Billy Ray Cyrus' hit, “Achey Breaky Heart”. She fell in love with Oriental and Asiatic lilies and all varieties of iris. With hundreds of both surrounding her home, she loved working in her beloved flowers for hours at a time. Also, being a cat-lover meant any stray that showed up at the door was well-fed (and even taken in as part of the family). A simple cook, Marilyn made the best chili (never the same twice) and a mouth-watering meatloaf. And she only met one cup of coffee she didn’t like (in a gift shop in Jerusalem).

Although prone to motion sickness, she loved to travel to places she had only dreamed of in her childhood. With her sister Linda, she traveled to Israel, Australia and New Zealand, and twice to Alaska. More recent trips took them to visit National Parks out West. Together, the girls even took their mom Betty on a cruise to the Bahamas. Marilyn’s favorite trips though were to “Moriah”, their cabin up north near Crystal Mountain where she enjoyed watching the kayakers and canoeists float past on the Betsie River.

Marilyn was predeceased by her adoptive parents Dick and Betty Stoddard and brother-in-law Edwin Spears. She is survived by sisters #1-4—Linda Stoddard of Battle Creek, Ricki Conner (Jim) of Jackson, Michele Cooper (Ed) of Clark Lake, and Robyn Spears (late Edwin) of Brunswick, OH. She is also survived by "bonus" brother-in-law Bob Ross of Strongsville, OH. Others celebrating her life include numerous nieces and nephews as well as many friends. All held a special place in Marilyn’s heart.

A Celebration of Marilyn’s life will be held at Farley Estes Dowdle Funeral Home & Cremation Care on Saturday, July 19, 2025 at 11:30 a.m. with her sister, the Rev. Linda D. Stoddard of Maple Methodist GMC presiding. The Nurse Honor Guard of Calhoun County will present their Nightingale Tribute as part of the service. Visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Committal will occur at a later time at Rosehill Cemetery in Eaton Rapids, Michigan.

Marilyn's service will be livestreamed at the following link: https://vimeo.com/event/5224811

PLEASE WEAR RED or YELLOW (Marilyn’s favorite colors) for her service. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are encouraged for the Nurse Honor Guard of Calhoun County or Reflections Outcast Animal Rescue (R.O.A.R.)

Personal messages for the family may be placed at www.farleyestesdowdle.com.