Aug. 16, 1930 – April 2, 2011
Agnes Ann “Ag” Marble, 80, of Crawfordsville, died April 2, 2011.
She was born Aug. 16, 1930 in Garrison, N.D., a child of the prairie and the Great Depression. Her parents, John and Katie Slobojan, were the children of Ukrainian immigrants. They believed in the promise of America, raising wheat, cattle and children on the harsh and beautiful north plains.
She grew up riding horses and killing rattlesnakes in the breaks of the Missouri River on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation. She was shaped by the elements and the culture of her childhood. Dust storms, bitter cold, scorching sun and the absolute necessity of hard work forged a harsh childhood, but one she always spoke of lovingly. She rode her horse to the one-room school at Buffalo Rocks, joining her eight classmates (none ever actually in her grade), learning about the world outside of the Dakota country. At home, she learned how simple people survive in a tough land and hard times: bow your neck, squint your eyes and grit your teeth. These were lessons that served her well for the rest of her life.
Mrs. Marble left the plains by the most expeditious route possible. She attended nursing training in Garrison and set out to conquer the world. Her passion for nursing led to stints at hospitals and universities throughout the West. Eventually, she became a surgical training nurse. She had high expectations of her students and also of her doctors.
In 1953 she met a dashing and handsome young Coast Guard officer, Daniel Craig Marble. They married shortly after, learning to get along while traveling the coast of Washington, Oregon and California in an Airstream trailer. Eventually, they settled in the Riverside community outside of Albany. Dr. Marble established a dental office in Albany, and Mrs. Marble settled down and began her life’s work: raising children and livestock, working the land and forging life-long friendships.
In 1968 the Marble family moved to the Lazy M ranch near Crawfordsville. Mrs. Marble jumped into this new life with both feet (usually in rubber boots). She immersed herself in running the ranch, the house, the family and the garden. She raised her children with a gentle heart, sarcastic wit and hard, callused hands. She was not a mother that was impressed by backtalk or namby-pamby attitudes. Negotiation with children was not part of her parenting plan.
In addition to raising her own six children, Mrs. Marble opened her home and her heart to a long string of other people’s children. She also found time to work in her community, serving several terms on the Sweet Home School Board, 20 years as a 4-H leader and a lifetime as an activist and muck-raker. She also sat on the board of the Linn County Livestock Association, where she received the honor of being selected Livestock Man of the Year.
Along the way, she found ways to continue her education and quench her thirst to see the world. She traveled widely, roaming the West on bull-buying trips and occasional vacations. She traveled to the Ukraine several times, making contact with her father’s people. She loved expanding her horizons, meeting new people and seeing new things. She enjoyed expeditions to Scotland, China, Egypt, Hungary and many points between. She had been planning a trip to Norway with a former nursing student.
Mrs. Marble spent her golden years doing what she loved most: making things grow. She established Covered Bridge Plants, a greenhouse and nursery operation in Crawfordsville. She loved the wonderful work of growing plants, but she truly hated slugs.
Life was not all roses for Mrs. Marble. Her life was marked by the loss of three children: Kirsten, Kenneth and Dennis. Bent but unbowed, she persevered, taking the good with bad, meeting life head on.
She is survived by her husband Craig, two brothers Ed and Bill, her sons John, Jim, and Jay, plus ten grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. She leaves many friends missing her sense of humor and smart mouth.
A celebration of her life was held at the Marble Ranch headquarters on Courtney Creek on April 10. Guests were requested to wear jeans.